There was a point in time where Microsoft was viewed as the giant closed source monster; the enemy of the Linux and open source communities. While that may have been true at one time (and some would argue still true), Microsoft has actually embraced open source lately, choosing to evolve rather than dissolve.
Now, Microsoft is showing its commitment to open source technologies -- particularly on Azure -- by seeking to hire Linux and open source professionals. Seriously, the company has hundreds of open positions just waiting to be filled. Will you apply?
"Microsoft Azure, our cloud platform, is a growing collection of integrated services: analytics, computing, database, mobile, networking, storage, and web. Azure supports a large number of open source applications, frameworks, and languages, as a result of Microsoft’s work with open source communities. We understand that partners and customers, from startups to enterprises, want to use the tools that best fit their experience, skills, and application requirements, and our goal is to enable that choice", says Mark Hill, Vice President for Open Source Sales and Marketing Strategy, Microsoft.
Hill further says, "Microsoft's commitment to supporting Linux and open source software on Azure is also an opportunity to grow your career. We have positions open across the world and are looking for open source experts to help our customers move to the cloud".
While I am sure some open source professionals will scoff at working for Microsoft, this way of thinking is misguided. True, you may lose some "street-cred" with some Linux elitists, but you know what? A job is a job. Quite frankly, open source evangelists should jump at the challenge to move the dial from the inside of Microsoft.
If you are a courageous open source maven and you are looking for a job, you can find some here. Will you apply? Tell me in the comments.
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