The Microsoft (MSFT) acquisition of Yahoo (YHOO) doesn't really have much of an open source software (OSS) angle.
But if you're an information-technology (IT) analyst, you gotta say something besides "Wow," right?
OK, how about this: Microsoft will now own Zimbra.
As our research here on ebizQ and at IT Investment Research (see link to right) has shown, Microsoft is moving to become a business and IT services provider rather than a technology provider. Therefore in the long term, the Office (and a lot of other things) giant from Redmond really doesn't care if it's using OSS or its own proprietary technology to deliver those services.
Zimbra might have died a slow death along with Yahoo if Yahoo had been left to wither by itself. Zimbra might become the next generation of Office with this acquisition.
Really thinking three unlikely steps ahead, this deal also illustrates one of the benefits of the OSS terms and conditions. Any Zimbra user worried about the effects of Zimbra being owned by Microsoft can fork the source on day one and go its own way.
And if he's still with Zimbra, I also like the idea of Scott Dietzen linking up with Ray Ozzie. Transaction management meets peer to peer. That's Dietzen of Camelot/Transarc/IBM (as owner of Transarc)/BEA heritage meeting up with Ozzie of Plato/Data General/VisiCalc/Symphony/Iris (as in Lotus Notes) heritage.
That would be a bigger merger than this little $44 billion thing.
Here is something we all can do. This website is trying to get the word out.
http://www.freezimbranow.org/
There is also an online petition at : http://www.PetitionOnline.com/zimbra01/petition.html
Please go here to support zimbra and protect it from Microsoft
[Byron comment: For the reasons noted in my blogpost, I totally disagree that Zimbra needs such protection or that Microsoft represents a threat, but in the spriit of the open source community, here is some information readers might find actionalbe even if I don't.]
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