Microsoft’s ‘Open Source Strategy’ to manage its .Net

Call it uncanny, strange or unlikely, Microsoft has made the move of going the Open-Source way – at least to manage some of its resources. In this case the idea is to incorporate one of the first editions (versions) of NuPack which can serve as an open source manager for Microsoft’s .Net. Scott Guthrie has exemplified in a detailed manner about the working of the NuPack in his website.

For our understanding let us take an excerpt from his explanation and comprehend what NuPack can actually do.

NuPack is a free open source package manager that makes it easy for you to find, install, and use .NET libraries in your projects. It works with all .NET project types (including, but not limited to, both ASP.NET Web Forms and ASP.NET MVC). NuPack enables developers who maintain open source projects (for example, projects like Moq, NHibernate, Ninject, StructureMap, NUnit, Windsor, RhinoMocks, Elmah, etc) to package up their libraries and register them with an online gallery/catalog that is searchable.

Since Microsoft does not specialize in the fabrication of open source software products and services, it comes as quite a surprise that it has chosen open source software to run one of its resources. The idea is for Microsoft’s developers to blend both the open and closed software worlds by writing the open source software and running it under the closed source Windows operating system, wherein the OS is using the proprietary languages and tools. This shall mean that Microsoft can readily sell expensive software to its developer-users and consumers.

The ultimate goal is to make sure that Nupack is seen as an essential element for .Net and is integrated within .Net libraries and projects in the simplest and easiest ways possible with very little complications; in a manner that is supported by all versions of the Visual Studio. A shrewd yet good business sense like always prevails in the Microsoft team enabling more .Net developers to use open source libraries.

There will be a beta launch of the first edition of ASP.Net MVC 3, following the preview of ASP.Net MVC 3. Necessary upgrades have been made to the preview version wherein the Razor engine options shall be improvised, thereby enabling a better MVC integration and best helper methods. In addition to this, there will also be the release of Microsoft’s Webmatrix Beta 2 which caters to the webpage enhancement needs and also improves templates along with facilitating Nupack integration. It is basically used in the development of websites and Windows systems.

All in all, a good and smart move made by Microsoft and this could be one of those occasions whereby a proprietary software maker is using an open software solution to better its products & services and sell them at a luxurious cost.