[Infowarrior] - FW: Microsoft Virtualization Licensing and Distribution Terms

[Richard Forno]

(c/o MS)


Microsoft Virtualization Licensing and Distribution Terms

VMware White Paper

February 23, 2007

Summary

Microsoft is trying to restrict customers' flexibility and freedom to
choose virtualization software by limiting who can run their software
and how they can run it. Microsoft is leveraging its ownership of the
market leading operating system and numerous applications that are
market leaders in their respective categories (Exchange, SQL Server,
Active Directory) to drive customers to use Microsoft virtualization
products. Their tactics are focused on software licensing and
distribution terms (for SQL Server, Exchange, Windows Server, Vista)
and through the APIs and formats for virtualized Windows.
In particular, Microsoft does not have key virtual infrastructure
capabilities (like VMotion), and they are making those either illegal
or expensive for customers; Microsoft doesn't have virtual desktop
offerings, so they are denying it to customers; and Microsoft is
moving to control this new layer that sits on the hardware by forcing
their specifications and APIs on the industry. Included below in this
document are explanations with supporting details of some of these
specific areas.

Virtualization opens up new enabling models for IT customers and
technology vendors. To fully achieve this vision, the industry must
ensure fundamental market choice and ecosystem interoperability.
Microsoft operating systems and applications are both market dominant
and they deliver value to customers. However, customers and vendors
require freedom of choice to implement and deliver applications and
operating systems from any vendor with any chosen virtual hardware
platform. Microsoft is not acting in customers' best interests when
they attempt to force an integrated virtual hardware/operating
system/application stack for their operating system and applications.
Customers require an "any to any" interoperability model where
Microsoft application stacks can run freely with licensing, open
APIs, and support equivalence on non-Microsoft virtual hardware to
Microsoft's own virtualization technologies.

...

http://www.vmware.com/solutions/whitepapers/msoft_licensing_wp.html