Microsoft reacts to fear of Linux

This does not mean that more lines of code will be available to developers and partners, but merely that a greater number of these people will have access to a greater number of products, including .NET.

However, William Knottenbelt, a lecturer at Imperial College, said Microsoft needs to realise that the only way to make a product that people really trust is to reveal more code. He claimed problems such as the hole recently found on the Microsoft web server would be spotted sooner. He said: "You can't just rely on your own people."

The cynical among us would describe the move as Microsoft craving the best of both worlds - avoiding the risks associated with the open-source model while casting the net wider to drain the knowledge of an increased number of developers. However, Gordon Smilie, director .NET calls it a "win-win situation".