Microsoft will share the source code underlying its Windows operating system with several international governments, a move designed to address concerns about the security of the OS.
The Redmond, Washington based software giant, which dominates the market for desktop software, has signed deals or expects to shortly with 10 countries and organizations, Salah DanDan, worldwide GSP manager, said in an interview.
"The GSP is the global initiative announced today that seeks to provide governments with access to source code and information that governments need to be confident in the security of the Microsoft platform," DanDan said.
Under the program announced Tuesday, DanDan said, governments will be able to see source code for Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 and CE; use that code to build those versions of Windows; see Microsoft security documentation the company doesn"t otherwise share; visit Microsoft"s headquarters; talk to Microsoft developers; and perform their own tests on the code.