Microsoft is fully compatible with open-source software Windows and Linux

Novell and Microsoft will work together to develop technologies that allow users to run Windows and SuSE Linux (operating systems sold by Novell) simultaneously on their computers.

On Thursday, a well-known person revealed that Microsoft is preparing to reach a cooperation agreement with Novell, an open-source company, to allow compatibility between open-source software Linux and Windows systems. The anonymous person said Novell will work with Microsoft to develop technologies that allow users to run Windows and SuSE Linux (operating systems sold by Novell) simultaneously on their computers.

Unlike copyright software, open-source software allows developers to share code and add features. Users only need to pay for feature customization, maintenance, and technical support. Linux is the most popular open-source software. Microsoft plans to release an important statement later on Thursday, but refuses to comment on the report. Microsoft CEO Ballmer and Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian will attend the press conference.

As the world's largest software company, Microsoft has been trying to defeat open-source software for many years, but Linux now occupies a large share of the server market, and customers are increasingly demanding to run both systems at the same time. The agreement marks a significant shift in Microsoft's strategy. Catherine Egbert, analyst at Jefferies & Co, believes that Linux has grown. the compatibility and support of the two systems indicate that Linux is becoming a mainstream software.

Two rival companies also plan to provide patent licenses to their customers, sources said. After acquiring borland database software and WordPerfect 10 years ago, Novell became Microsoft's full competitor. Novell purchased a msdos competitor patent and a unix version of the predecessor of Linux, hoping to integrate these technologies into its own operating system. However, Microsoft's demand for Windows system soared, and the strategy failed. As a result, Novell filed an anti-monopoly lawsuit against Microsoft two years ago. For this reason, Microsoft paid $0.536 billion to reach a settlement with Novell.