Well not quite, but the software company is loosening the grip on it’s proprietary protocols. These include Exchange/Outlook and SharePoint/Office. How loose you ask, how about a whooping 14,000 pages. These join the around staggering 30,000 pages of other various Windows Server and Client protocols. The additions to the MSDN can be found here. Microsoft said that it will be releasing the finished documentation in June.

The devil is in the details though, even though the documentation is public if Microsoft feels that the protocol is patented any commercial product wanting to implement the protocol will have to pay royalties. The bright side is that noncommercial open source software may implement the protocols without royalties. Many say this effort is from pressure from the EU but this is still a step in the right direction.

Source: Information Week

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