Use Linux says arch rival Microsoft to its trainees
World’s largest technology company is coming to realise that world cant run only on Windows. Microsoft, which used consider Linux as unwanted competition is now realising that to grow it needs to learn Linux or that is what it wants its developers to learn.
For hating the operating system that was its biggest threat, Linux, to now calling its trainees to sign up for Linux is a complete u turn from the tech giant. On Wednesday, Microsoft announced a new training program to help teach the Windows faithful in the IT world how to use Linux, as long as they are using Linux on Microsoft’s Azure cloud services.
However asking its developers to learn Linux makes business sense. Cloud computing as we know is the future and Microsoft want to capture as much business in cloud computing as is possible. Microsoft doesn’t desperately care how much of its home-grown software its customers use, so long as the software is running on Microsoft’s cloud, Azure.
To put it another way: when customers use Microsoft’s cloud, Microsoft gets paid no matter what software they use. But if they go to a rival cloud company, like Amazon or Google, they are much more likely to ditch Microsoft’s Windows as well as Azure.
Therefore the training program so that its developers can offer the best to its Azure customers to try its cloud instead of a competitor’s cloud like Amazon’s or Google’s.
The Linux Foundation is thrilled. In a blog post by its director Jim Zemlin, he said:
Professionals who can run both Linux and Windows systems, as well as understand hybrid environments and the development behind them will rise to the top of their field with better pay and career prospects.
