Microsoft adopts open source mentality

No, Microsoft isn’t opening Windows or Office source code to the general public. But, [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]Microsoft is trying to reinvent itself to compete in a new era of technology[/inlinetweet], and part of that effort includes adopting open source concepts–at least internally.

I wrote a blog post about Microsoft’s new acceptance of open source concepts:

In many ways Microsoft is going through the corporate equivalent of a mid-life crisis—it has reached a stage where it longs to drop a few pounds, and turn back the clock a few years. After years of tremendous success, it’s now starting to show its age, and it is struggling to adapt to the new tech landscape and compete with younger, leaner, more innovative competitors.

The shift began under ex-CEO Steve Ballmer. Ballmer’s approach, though, was misguided. Ballmer’s Microsoft suffered from hubris, and ignored the seismic shift in technology until it was too late. When Ballmer finally recognized the existential threat, and tried to turn the ship around, it was done from within the established bloated corporate culture. There was an effort to rearrange the chairs on the deck with a management reorganization, but it simply wasn’t enough.

Then Satya Nadella took over. Nadella has a more aggressive vision. It’s still not an easy job, nor a goal that can be accomplished overnight with a behemoth the size of Microsoft, but Nadella has dramatically changed the culture, and the vision for where Microsoft is heading.

Part of the new and improved Microsoft includes embracing communities that Microsoft has long ignored or alienated, and shifting the way things get done at Microsoft so the company can be more agile. It is evident in how Microsoft partnered with Chef and Puppet Labs to integrate popular DevOps tools into the Azure cloud platform, and it can be seen in how Microsoft is adopting open source.

Check out the complete article at DevOps.com: Microsoft strives to embrace open source culture.