Microsoft tries to go open source through WebsiteSpark
By siliconindia   |   Friday, 25 September 2009, 18:00 IST   |    3 Comments
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Amsterdam: Microsoft has launched WebsiteSpark program to encourage developers to use Microsoft tools for web development. It is an initiative designed to create a partner network and help enable business growth for professional web development and design companies with up to 10 employees and owners. "Developers are the lifeblood of our business, and we are wholly committed to ensuring their success," said Bob Muglia, President of Microsoft's Server and Tools Business division. "WebsiteSpark makes Microsoft's Web development tools and support more accessible to developers and designers at small companies as they create inventive applications for the web. Our third Spark program, WebsiteSpark furthers our commitment to ignite innovation among key communities and individuals." Microsoft is not well known when it comes to web development. Developers around the world prefer to use Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl, together known as LAMP. Although hesitantly but slowly Microsoft is trying to provide open source services. However there are limitations as well, the companies who can participate in the WebsiteSpark program must have only 10 people. The program gives thousands of dollars of technology away for just $100 at the end of three years, and then two options ($999 per year for everything or a scaled down $199 per year option) that aren't much expensive. The benefits that will be available to these small companies are - Microsoft web design and development tools, including three licenses of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition, two licenses of Microsoft Expression Web 3 and one license of Microsoft Expression Studio 3, four processor licenses for production usage to Windows Web Server 2008 and four processor licenses for production usage to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Web Edition. Also, these companies will have access to two technical support incidents and community support through connections with network partners, hosting partners and peers with complementary services and technologies. These benefits will give a good opportunity for small businesses to flourish. But still there is a big difference in offering these freebies and to go open source. LAMP gives web developers control on source code and also on cost as they don't have to pay anyone. Web developer might choose Red Hat or MySQL for a support subscription but that is completely the developer's decision. Another disadvantage of this program is that at the end of the three years, Microsoft doesn't require WebsiteSpark participants to buy anything, but if the start-up is successful, it faces big bills as it scales out its Microsoft technology. The company will have to continue using Microsoft technology for web development. Many other big companies like Oracle are also trying to expand in open source. Oracle is interested in picking up MySQL, the leading web database. But Microsoft has no such plans as of yet. So it will have to rely on WebsiteSpark to be a success in this space.

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