Microsoft embraces open source -- to a point

Rabellino: I don't think that that's where open source can really make a difference. I don't think so. At the end of the day, success in mobile really depends on having a solid, consistent platform, a solid consumer experience in the overall devices. I like our story on the phone, to the tablets, to the crossover devices, to the laptops, to the all-in-ones, to your TV Xbox, all with a consistent interface. I think that this consistency at this point is more important.

tAt the same time, however, there is a point to be made for being open, because we need to get developers. You need to make sure that you have a very solid story when it comes to developers, because they are the ones who make the investment in your platform and they are the ones that care about openness. But let's think about what openness means here. Openness here means having a solid set of reliable APIs. Openness means having everything documented. Openness means being out there for Microsoft and have places where we have a conversation with developers. Microsoft is no stranger to that. MSDN is huge if you think about it.

InfoWorld: Do you think Microsoft is no longer viewed as being the nemesis of open source?

Rabellino: I can tell you that when I joined Microsoft [two years ago], I of course asked around, I had quite a few contacts. [I talked with] my friends are very, very into open source. Every single one of them told me to go for it because they didn't see it as a problem at all. They clearly understood that Microsoft had changed over the years and that the market had changed as well. So this was the right time.

InfoWorld: Microsoft used to have cross-licensing agreements regarding patents. Does Microsoft still claim that Linux infringed Microsoft patents?

Rabellino: I am not involved with that particular side. We take pride in what we do. We are not shy about saying that we have open source software and proprietary software, and we think that they can go together. We are [respectful] of others' intellectual property. We just ask the same. We are in negotiation, ongoing, with other companies and other providers. That's par for the course in the industry. We are being very vocal, for example, on the of patent reforms.

InfoWorld: Steve Ballmer said something about Linux being a "cancer." How does Microsoft feel about Linux these days?

Rabellino: I opened up telling you about Linux images [on VM Depot]. We began to realize that what the customers are running are complex IT infrastructures where they are using more than one technology. What we want to do is make sure that we provide the best place for those technologies to run together. This is why, as an example, we're now listed as one of the top contributors [to] the Linux kernel.