Microsofts software empire rests on Windows, the computer operating system that runs so many of the worlds desktop PCs, laptops, phones, and servers. Along with the Office franchise, it generates the majority of the companys revenues. But one day, the company could open source the code that underpins the OSgiving it away for free. So says Mark Russinovich, one of the companys top engineers.

Its definitely possible, Russinovich says. Its a new Microsoft.

Russinovich is sitting in front of several hundred people who spend their days running thousands of computers. He helped build Windows, and he carries one of the most respected titles at the worlds largest software company: Microsoft Technical Fellow. But here, on stage at a conference in Silicon Valley, hes perched in front of an audience whose relationship with Microsoft is, at best, complicated.

So many Microsoft customers now rely on open source code. That means Microsoft must embrace it too.

But this is what Russinovich expects. Thats the reality we live in today, he says. The tech world has changed in enormous ways. So many companiesso many Microsoft customersare now relying on open source code. And that means Microsoft must embrace it too. As Russinovich points out, the company now allows Linux on its Azure cloud computing service, a way of renting computers over the internet, and today, Linux is running on at least 20 percent of those computers.

Its quite a change for Microsoft, so long the bete noir of the open source community. But as Russinovich explains, its a necessary change. And given how popular Linux has become, Microsoft could go even further, not only allowing open source software on its cloud services, but actually turning Windows into open source software. Every conversation you can imagine about what should we do with our softwareopen versus not-open versus serviceshas happened, he says.

Certainly, Microsoft wont open source the thing tomorrowif ever. Windows is still such a big part of the Microsoft revenue stream. And as Russinovich says, open sourcing such a complex piece of code isnt easy. If you open source something but it comes with a build system that takes rocket scientists and three months to set up, whats the point? he asks. But Microsoft is already giving away one version of Windows for free (though not sharing the underlying code). And it has already open sourced other important pieces of its software empire. If nothing else, his very public comments showin stark fashionhow much the tech world has evolved. And how much Microsoft has evolved.

The future of tech lies not with for-pay software of the kind traditionally offered by Microsoft. Linux has moved into the massive computing centers that power the internet, and open source OSes such as Google Android are running so many of the worlds mobile phones, tablets, and other devices. The future, even for Microsoft, lies in selling other stuff, including cloud computing services such Microsoft Azure and all sorts of other apps and services that run atop the worlds operating systems.

If Microsoft does open source Windows, the operating system can still be a money maker in its own right.

Earlier this year, Microsoft open sourced a tool called .NET, a popular way of building online applications, and the hope is that this will expand the tools reach. Outside coders are even working to move the tool onto Linux machines and Apple Macs. In the end, Russinovich says, this will help Microsoft sell other stuff. Its an enabling technology that can get people started on other Microsoft solutions, he says of .NET. It lifts them up and makes them available for our other offerings, where otherwise they might not be. If theyre using Linux technologies that we cant play with, they cant be a customer of ours.

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Microsoft: An Open Source Windows Is ‘Definitely Possible’