Microsoft plans to announce today that it will give dozens of
governments and international agencies access to the programming
code in its Office desktop software, including word processing,
spreadsheet, presentation and e-mail programs.  The move is the
latest step by Microsoft to share its technology more openly
with large customers in response to the rising popularity of
open-source software like the Linux operating system.  In open-
source projects, the source code -- rendered in a programming
language like C or Java -- is distributed free, and improved and
debugged by a network of software developers. Many customers
find it valuable to see the inner workings of the software that
they use in their businesses, and the appeal of sharing
technology has forced Microsoft to modify its proprietary
practices. Microsoft began selectively sharing its source code a
few years ago, in what it calls a shared-source program.  The
company has used the sharing program to change the way it
handles its intellectual property