Welcome to the Linux Family: Microsoft Announces Azure Sphere

In 2014, when Satya Nadella took over as CEO of Microsoft, one of the first things to be announced was in that, in fact “Microsoft Loves Linux.” I’m sure *no one* from the Linux community scoffed at that keynote, right? Naysayers be damned, the growth of Linux adoption tied to the Azure cloud platform has been massive – and we’ve gotten the warm and fuzzies from Redmond across a variety of different projects that prove the love is real. From SQL Server on SUSE, Windows Subsystem for Linux, reference architectures and keynotes featuring massive 20TB SAP HANA systems running on SUSE, and thousands of shared customers since over the course of a few years the love continues to grow.

But who would’ve guessed that Microsoft would’ve gone from embracing Linux to creating and distributing an embedded OS with a custom kernel? That’s living on the edge! …or as they call it in Redmond – the Intelligent Edge. The new breed of chips, with an embedded Microsoft flavor of Linux, the Sphere OS, looks to power a world where your tires warn you miles before going flat and your fridge talks back – whether you want it to or not.

This announcement from Microsoft is an exciting development. We’re excited to welcome Microsoft to the community and always looking forward to more areas to collaborate upstream. Looking back on a quote from Linus, he said “If Microsoft ever does applications for Linux it means I’ve won.” …but I encourage the community to embrace the concept of being ‘Open, Open’ and realize that we’re all winning!!