Microsoft Steals Lingo Of Open Source Community To Market New Program

Microsoft launched a new program called Open Value Subscription, which is essentially an MS-Office subscription service. Microsoft will issue "time-based" software licenses as an alternative to full cost purchases of that software.

Microsoft in attempting to market this new program began steal terminology related to open source and SaaS (software as a service). This new ploy has drawn some heavy criticism from the CNET, the open source community and the SaaS community. Part of the program was the launch of a developer site called Codeplex. Yet, nothing about the program is "open." There doesn't seem to be any cost savings--you absorb the cost over time, simply reducing the upfront cost.