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Topic: Open Source

Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

Summary: Two keepers of open-source code -- the CodePlex Foundation and the OpenOffice.org Project -- have rebranded themselves as of September 28.

Mary Jo Foley

By for All About Microsoft |

Two keepers of open-source code have rebranded themselves as of September 28.

One is the Microsoft spinoff formerly known as the CodePlex Foundation. That organization is now going by the name by the Outercurve Foundation. Microsoft spun off the not-for-profit open-source group in 2009. The new name should help reduce confusion between the Foundation and the open-source repository which is named CodePlex.com.

The OpenOffice.org Project has undertaken a major restructuring, via which it is separating itself from Oracle. OpenOffice.org is now known as The Document Foundation, and its development and direction will be determined by a steering commitee of developers and project managers. The OpenOffice.org suite is going by the temporary name of LibreOffice, which will remain until Oracle makes a decision as to whether it will donate the OpenOffice.org brand to the group.

The Foundation has invited Oracle to rejoin the OpenOffice community by applying for membership. As The Register notes, "based on Oracle's history of responding to community ultimatums, we suggest you get used to LibreOffice."

Topics: Open Source, Microsoft

About

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

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42 comments
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  • my 2 cents

    M$ outercurve sounds like some feminine product, but LibreOffice is a great name emphasing the free nature of the software.
    Linux Geek
    Reply Vote

    • Well, better than re-branding FireFox as IceWeasel!!!

      but, hopefully, Oracle will donate the OpenOffice name.
      DonnieBoy
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

        @DonnieBoy I dunno.. My first impression of the name was that it was for Mexican Luche Libre wrestlers.

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        athel-stan
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    • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

      @Linux Geek - your funny. LibreOffice - sounds like some French Union trying to shutdown the country because they didn't get their way. But I don't know much about feminine products, however, you must.
      ItsTheBottomLine
      Reply Vote

      • LibreOffice...

        @ItsTheBottomLine
        I dunno.. My first impression of the name was that it was for Mexican Luche Libre wrestlers.
        Wolfie2K3
        Reply Vote

    • Huh

      @Linux Geek My biggest complaint about this is that the name just sucks. It's not catchy or even really sticks in your head. It's not something I can tell friends which they can easily remember later when they are punching it into Google to put it on their machine.
      kwabinalars
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

        @kwabinalars If you announce a SW or an OS release, you should be rolling it out as soon as the announcement. This is just a good reason for these websites to get more hits and the SW/OS maker to gain more popularity out of all the commotions. I would consider us enthusiast too mindless for allowing us to become toys for their plays.
        Cahin
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

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        hathawaya41
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    • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

      @Linux Geek but bing is not free market competition. it lost the search war (no matter what they choose to call it now). it loses obscene amounts of money and will continue to do so (according to ballmer) until the cash cows come home. yahoo, alta vista, all of them lost the search war. the only difference between them and ms is that they had to run a business with bottom lines (that hole inconvenient profit and loss thingy). ms doesn't. no, i'd like to see someone compete that isn't buying their way in. that's free market. <a href="http://www.arabaoyunlarimiz.gen.tr/kiz-oyunlari/friv-3.html"><b>friv</b></a>
      Arabalar
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  • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

    Let's rename Google to AltaVista - and place mountains as background.
    michaelmolin
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

      @michaelmolin WOW - that takes me back. Very good memory.
      ItsTheBottomLine
      Reply Vote

  • And Oracle is also invided to contribute more funds...

    I admire the OpenOffice guys for what they did, but inviting Oracle back into the mix AND ASKING FOR FUNDS makes them look pathetic.

    Honestly, at least do open source with a little integrity. If you really need a giant corporation to be a sugar daddy, open source truly is a joke.
    croberts
    Reply Vote

    • Actually, NO. Open source does force large companies to play nice and

      contribute to the commons. Google supporting FireFox for instance is GREAT! Oracle participating AND giving money to OpenOffice would be great.
      DonnieBoy
      Reply Vote

      • Whats your guess as to whether or not google will recommit to funding FF

        Their 5 year deal is almost up. Will they sign up for another 5 years or will they drop it like a turd they accidentally stepped in?
        Johnny Vegas
        Reply Vote

      • Google will fund FireFox indefinitely. It is the percentage of standards

        based browsers with great java script performance that matters to Google. It is the total sum of FireFox, Safari, Opera, Chrome, that is driving the standards based web and forcing Microsoft to follow suit.

        What could be better?
        DonnieBoy
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    • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

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      otisa
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  • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

    Next month the openoffice.org gets disbanded. Can't believe they are still around and its a pretty good chance Oracle will be dropping them like they did opensolaris.
    Loverock Davidson
    Reply Vote

    • Well, OpenOffice will slowly fade away as bloated office suites slowly

      fade away. MS Office is also on the way out. OpenOffice is a great tool for the transition.
      DonnieBoy
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      • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

        @DonnieBoy
        How is it great when it can't do half the claims it says it can?
        Loverock Davidson
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    • RE: Microsoft spinoff, competitor rebrand themselves

      @Loverock Davidson
      How is it great when it can't do half the claims it says it can?

      You know this how? You have been using it then....

      Hooray!
      daikon
      Reply Vote
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