Eight Things Microsoft Can And Should Do To Be More 'Open'Eight Things Microsoft Can And Should Do To Be More 'Open'

Microsoft as of late has been championing what it says is the cause of openness. But there's much, much more Microsoft needs to do to win over skeptics hardened by years of take-no-prisoners competition and one antitrust investigation after another.That's the topic of this week's lead feature, "How Open Is Microsoft?", which you can read here.

The stigma remains that Microsoft is a company that wants nothing more than to do away with open source, open standards, and interoperability. With several of its moves this year, opponents have come out of the woodwork to criticize Microsoft's efforts as halfhearted, wrongheaded, or little more than a public relations push.

While there's validity to some of those arguments, it's clear to me that Microsoft recognizes a need for change. Web 2.0, the rise of open source, and a continued barrage of regulatory attacks make it a corporate necessity for Microsoft to do business with a softer, more transparent touch.

So here are eight things Microsoft could do to add real teeth to its commitment to openness: