Microsoft and open source on convergent paths

12 March 2016 Geoff Zeiss
The world is changing.  Microsoft has been doing things in the open source world for some time, but this last week it has gotten wild.
 
Microsoft has just kicked off launch activities for SQL Server 2016 with general availability later this year. Spatial data has been supported in SQL Server since 2012. According to a Microsoft blog post this is the most significant release of SQL Server ever. It includes some very cool technology: in-memory database support  with dramatic performance increases and advanced analytics based on R that enables customers to do real-time predictive analytics on both operational and analytic data among other things.  Microsoft introduced Polybase, a SQL Server connector to Hadoop in 2015. Microsoft has now incorporated that functionality into on-premises SQL Server 2016. 
 
That’s all pretty cool, but the biggest surprise is that Microsoft has announced plans to bring SQL Server to Linux. The core relational database capabilities are being  previewed right now.  SQL Server 2016 will be available on Linux in mid-2017.
 
Gartner has named Microsoft as leading the industry in their Magic Quadrant for Operational Database Management Systems, slightly ahead of Oracle. Microsoft also leads Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence and Analytics Platforms.  Very surprisingly Oracle is not even on the Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence.
 
And that’s not all.
 
Microsoft has just released the source code to an open-source operating system, based on Debian GNU/Linux, that runs on network switches. The software is called SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud). SONiC builds upon Microsoft’s Linux-based Azure Cloud Switch (ACS) operating system.
Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss has more than 20 years experience in the geospatial software industry and 15 years experience developing enterprise geospatial solutions for the utilities, communications, and public works industries. His particular interests include the convergence of BIM, CAD, geospatial, and 3D. In recognition of his efforts to evangelize geospatial in vertical industries such as utilities and construction, Geoff received the Geospatial Ambassador Award at Geospatial World Forum 2014. Currently Geoff is Principal at Between the Poles, a thought leadership consulting firm. From 2001 to 2012 Geoff was Director of Utility Industry Program at Autodesk Inc, where he was responsible for thought leadership for the utility industry program. From 1999 to 2001 he was Director of Enterprise Software Development at Autodesk. He received one of ten annual global technology awards in 2004 from Oracle Corporation for technical innovation and leadership in the use of Oracle. Prior to Autodesk Geoff was Director of Product Development at VISION* Solutions. VISION* Solutions is credited with pioneering relational spatial data management, CAD/GIS integration, and long transactions (data versioning) in the utility, communications, and public works industries. Geoff is a frequent speaker at geospatial and utility events around the world including Geospatial World Forum, Where 2.0, MundoGeo Connect (Brazil), Middle East Spatial Geospatial Forum, India Geospatial Forum, Location Intelligence, Asia Geospatial Forum, and GITA events in US, Japan and Australia. Geoff received Speaker Excellence Awards at GITA 2007-2009.

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