The head of Microsoft"s open source lab is inviting Mozilla developers up to Redmond for some help in making sure Firefox and Thunderbird run on Windows Vista. The offer is part of a weekly lab Microsoft is holding for developers in order to reduce application compatibility problems.
With Windows Vista nearing its first release candidate, application compatibility has taken center stage. If customers" applications don"t seamlessly work with the new operating system, many will hold off on upgrading. In turn, Microsoft has begun to seek out bigger developers and work with them directly.
For four days each week through December, Microsoft is hosting a Windows Vista Readiness ISV Lab. Although Mozilla competes with Internet Explorer, the alternative browser is also a top third-party application, and Microsoft"s developer ecosystem is critical to the success of Windows.