Tim Bowden published an interesting post earlier this week about the impact that the choice of open source license has on the potential valuation of an open source vendor. Taking the MySQL and PostgreSQL databases as an example, Bowden wrote: “When it comes to takeovers and valuations, I think the role of GPL as a [...]

EU fines Microsoft $1.3bn. Sourcefire CEO steps down. FSF launches project to end software patents. (and more)

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It may not seem like it, but Linux keeps making strides on the desktop, particularly in the rising form factor of ultra-portable notebooks. The latest development is an online offering of the popular Asus Eee PC from U.S. retail giant Best Buy. Now, of course, there are some typical limitations. We aren’t likely to see [...]

UPDATED – As you can see from the comments on this, the change is not Sun limiting Enterprise Unlimited, but being being more open about the limits. Kudos to Sun for doing so – UPDATED. Sun Microsystems has announced the completion of its acquisition of MySQL – “the most important acquisition in the modern software [...]

Sun completes acquisition of MySQL. Adobe launches open source site, new version of Flex. Bluenog obtains $4m in new funding. (and more)

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Adobe has announced that it is sponsoring the SQLite public domain database engine project by joining Mozilla and Symbian on the SQLite consortium. The news is interesting in that it balances Google’s recent sponsorship of efforts to support Photoshop on Linux, while it also raises an interesting question about Microsoft’s attempt to define commercial open [...]

I started posting to Twitter just over a year ago after many close friends spent concerted effort trying to convince me (and many others) to join. My first post was “Is this more than a fad?”, a thought most new Twitter users have (Note: It’s no fad – Twitter has resonated with many people and [...]

Microsoft expands interoperability. Pentaho obtains $12m in new funding. IONA looks for suitor. (and more)

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Open source fans are buzzing about Microsoft’s latest move to open its APIs, which follows along the path it has been on recently. Microsoft’s announced intention to open APIs to its Vista, .Net, Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange and Sharepoint software is no-doubt big, but it also comes as more and [...]

Microsoft has announced that it is to provide rivals and partners with free access the APIs and protocols it uses to ensure interoperability between its core products (Windows Vista and Server, Office, SQL Server, Exchange and SharePoint), as well as a new strategy that is focused on open access, portability, open standards and engagement with [...]

Here’s an interesting bit of news from the blurred line between open and closed source software. Ubuntu sponsor Canonical has announced that it is reselling IBM’s DB2 Express-C database as both a standalone software package and as a software appliance with VMware. While Express-C is free as in beer, it is not free as in [...]

Mozilla Messaging launches. MontaVista gets a new CEO. Linux Foundation releases updated Linux Standard Base.

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Yesterday I had a chance to catch up with Doug Judd, principle search architect at local search specialist Zvents, to get some insight into Hypertable, the new open source massively parallel database software project. Hypertable is an open source (GPLv2) implementation of Google’s Bigtable, an internally-deployed database that serves the company’s web indexing, Google Earth [...]

It is interesting to see Google confirming that it has hired Codeweavers, to ensure that Photoshop Creative Suite and Creative Suite 2 run on Linux via Wine. As the post states “Photoshop is one of those applications that desktop Linux users are constantly clamoring for” and projects like this will go a long way to [...]

The M&A action around open source continues to thunder into 2008. While we’ve barely had a single week without a major acquisition or two involving open source, a new sign of activity emerged this week. Benchmark Capital is adding entrepreneurs to its ranks with a significant focus on open source. Benchmark, already a big backer [...]

SCO Group has announced that it has arranged $100m financing from Stephen Norris Capital Partners to exit bankruptcy, go private, and continue its litigation against IBM, Novell and AutoZone. “SNCP has developed a business plan for SCO that includes unveiling new product lines aimed at global customers. This reorganization plan will also enable the company [...]

Novell acquires SiteScape. SGI acquires Linux Networx assets. SCO obtains $100m in financing. (and more)

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You may have heard about the report, but now, thanks to the power of the Internet, The 451 Group’s CAOS practice is proud to present our Webcast on Report Six: GPLv3 – Liberation or limitation?. The Webinar will give attendees a sense of our take on the latest iteration of the GNU General Public License [...]

Novell has announced that it has acquired open source collaboration software vendor SiteScape for an undisclosed fee, adding team workspace and collaboration functionality to its collaboration software portfolio. The main question the deal raised for me is why it took so long. Novell announced an OEM relationship with SiteScape almost exactly a year ago but [...]

I stated yesterday that open source had not been widely adopted in the UK without really backing the statement up. Fortunately SiriusIT, the UK-based open source services firm, has revamped its site with a blog entry explaining the situation with the example of open source adoption in the schools sector. “The ICT procurement framework for [...]