Microsoft plans to announce today that it will give dozens of governments and international agencies access to the programming code in its Office desktop software, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and e-mail programs.

The move is the latest step by Microsoft to share its technology more openly with large customers in response to the rising popularity of open-source software like the Linux operating system.

In open-source projects, the source code - rendered in a programming language like C or Java - is distributed free, and improved and debugged by a network of software developers. Many customers find it valuable to see the inner workings of the software that they use in their businesses, and the appeal of sharing technology has forced Microsoft to modify its proprietary practices. Microsoft began selectively sharing its source code a few years ago, in what it calls a shared-source program.

The company has used the sharing program to change the way it handles its intellectual property without changing the way it does business. Microsoft allows some corporations, governments, universities and industry partners to study its source code, but they are not allowed to change or redistribute the code - a restriction that does not apply in true open-source projects.
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Source : NYTimes

Too litle, too late, i'm afraid.
With ie's share droping each month, ms office being kept nearly identical over the latest two releases (for example access has the same exactly bugs it had 4 years ago!), lamp (linux/apatsi/mysql/php) doubling it's server share the last 2 years, it seems indeed too litle, too late.

In fact nobody except gamers needs windows these days, and there are indeed persons who will not use it, even if they were paid to do so!

(Last time I checked, ms-office revenews where dropping at about $300milion/quarter!)

(in reply to WinThusiast)