Microsoft expands Shared Source Initiative

Microsoft today expanded its Shared Source Initiative (SSI) Windows source code licensing programmes to seven additional countries in the European Union.

The move allows Windows 2000, XP, CE and Server 2003 shared source programmes to be made available to eligible enterprises, OEMs, systems integrators, Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals, and academic institutions in Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The software giant said that the expansion of the programme, which it launched in May 2001, is designed to encourage software development, support teaching and research, and create new business partner opportunities.

According to the firm, the continued growth of the SSI scheme "represents Microsoft's commitment to increasing the transparency of its source code and enabling those who would benefit from code access to build on Microsoft innovations".

Jason Matusow, director of the SSI at Microsoft, said: "Transparency leads to greater trust and opportunity.

"Over the past four years we have constantly looked for ways to expand the SSI across technologies, licence types and geographies to better listen to what our customers and partners are asking of us.

"Expanding the Windows source code access programmes to the whole of the EU is another important step in this process."

Microsoft began sharing Windows source code with academic institutions in 1991, and established the SSI in 2001 to formalise a programme that allows access to key Microsoft technologies.

The SSI currently covers source code components from Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, CE 3.0, CE .Net, CE 5.0, components of Visual Studio .Net, ASP.Net Starter Kits, Windows Installer XML, Windows Template Library and FlexWiki.