Next week, I’ll be making my way to San Francisco to deliver a keynote at the Open Source Business Conference (OSBC).

In my presentation, I’ll be highlighting some of the ways that Microsoft participates in open source communities and projects, and how Microsoft supports interoperability with open source applications and development environments. The main point I will be delivering is quite simple -- It is OK to use a broad range of technologies, including open source software, with Microsoft products.

For the public sector marketplace, two recent examples stand out:

• The Open Government Data Initiative (OGDI) is a free, open source starter kit that makes it easier to organize and publish public data from government agencies. OGDI APIs can be accessed from PHP, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, Flash, Silverlight, and more.

• For enterprise customers using open source technologies, including government agencies, Windows Azure represents a powerful cloud computing platform. To date, Microsoft has provided SDKs for developers working in PHP, Ruby, and Java, and the company is working with others in the industry to develop Open Cloud Standards.

Microsoft’s support for open source is good for our customers, the technology sector, and our business. It enables greater choice in the marketplace and spurs innovation. I nearly fell out of my chair when I heard some numbers from Geeknet -- over 80% of Open Source projects are Windows compatible. Hmm. Another head scratcher for me was “our research also found that Windows is the only operating system that runs all of the top 10 all-time most downloaded projects on SourceForge: eMule, Azureus/Vuze, Ares Gallery, 7-Zip, Filezilla, GTK+ and Gimp Installer for Windows, Audacity, PortableApps.com: Portable Software/USB, DC++, and BitTorent.” See http://port25.technet.com/archive/2010/03/09/geeknet-at-osbc-2010.aspx.

It is fantastic to see a robust and diverse ecosystem not only survive, but thrive.