China Gets A Peek At Microsoft Source Code

Mike Clendenin writes on InformationWeek:

Microsoft is giving the Chinese government access to the source code for Windows 7 and other key products in an effort to head off any concerns about the security capabilities of Microsoft products.

The review is an extension of an agreement signed in 2006 which enables China immediate access to the source code for Windows 7, Vista, XP, Server 2008 R2, Server 2003, and 2000, and the embedded software CE 6.0, 5.0, and 4.2. Also included is the source code for Microsoft Office 2003 Professional Edition and most other Microsoft products.

The agreement comes on the heels of a recent and somewhat controversial interview in which Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer downplayed the importance of China to Microsoft because of its poor IP protection and said India was a better market, irritating some Chinese.

More here.

Note: Somehow, from a security perspective, this doesn't strike me as a Good Thing. -ferg