[Ilija Studen]

The company announced this morning a multi-year relationship with Israeli PHP company Zend Technologies. The collaboration will focus on making it easier for PHP developers to program against Windows Server 2003 and in the future Longhorn. This is important because it’s a clear signal of recognition that the company can’t use its market share to force developers to use its .NET platform. The partnership with Zend looks like a great move towards increased participation in the larger development ecosystem.

Techcrunch: Here Comes Microsoft 2.0: Embracing Lightweight, Open Source Apps Online

Didn't See That Coming