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April 7, 1999

Microsoft's API Gambit

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Would 100% free and open APIs be enough to level the playing field and restore fair play to the computer industry? Would you trust Microsoft to go through with it, to document everything, and not to give their own application programmers early access to the APIs? If not, what would be a reasonable approach to settling the antitrust lawsuit and letting the industry move forward?

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Fred Langa is a senior consulting editor and columnist for Windows Magazine. Fred's free weekly newsletter is available via subscribe@langa.com. You can contact him at fred@langa.com or via his website at http://www.langa.com.

By Fred Langa

It's an interesting--but not totally unexpected--development: As reported by Computer Reseller News last week "Microsoft ... said it was willing to discuss ... making available the APIs critical to applications developers."

"An opening up of the API process could gain industry support," the report continued, "as several Microsoft competitors have alleged Microsoft withholds key APIs from companies either in retaliation or to hamper a competitor's progress."

I think opening the APIs makes a lot of sense, provided that Microsoft is serious about opening all APIs to all developers at the same time, with nothing held back and with none of the "undocumented API" chicanery of years past: All API calls and functions should be documented, and all should be made public. No operating system APIs should be made available to Microsoft application developers prior to the APIs being made generally available to all interested parties.

This, at a stroke, would eliminate much of the alleged advantage that Microsoft has. It would force Microsoft's application developers to play on the same field as any other developers. And it would let independent software vendors produce top-quality code without running into the hidden "gotchas" and pitfalls of the inadequately documented APIs.

I think this makes far more sense than forcing Microsoft to auction off or give away the source code for Windows, which is another proposal making the rounds.

In fact, this whole issue conjures an amazing sense of deja vu. A year ago, in a May 1998 TechWeb column, I wrote:

"Now, in light of Microsoft's monopolistic status and its current legal trouble, some are calling for Microsoft to release the source code for Windows. In effect, to put Windows in the public domain or at least in the hands of an independent standards body ...

"Open standards, while very, very useful, also tend to be slow and bureaucratic; not attributes we normally associate with the computer industry. (Example: the yearlong 56-Kbps modem dueling-standards fiasco.)

"Plus, some companies hide behind the banner of standards and openness while delivering something less.

"Most programmers don't want or need access to source code--they need reliable, documented APIs to make their apps work. Most consumers don't care about source code one way or another, and wouldn't know what to do with it if they got it. Most businesses have no use for the source, either.

"I think the 'Free Windows' battle cry is a false issue, and that the open-source code issue is moot. If the Windows source were available, would you use it? Would your company?

"Open APIs, yes. Open-source code, no way."

There's not much in that column I'd change, even a year later. Truly open-source code could result in the balkanization of Windows, with numerous incompatible sub-species in circulation. That would not be a step forward for anyone--developers would lose a well-defined and unified market, IT departments would face an even worse nightmare of support issues, users would face needless confusion, and so on. But opening the APIs would avoid many of the drawbacks while providing much of the benefit.

What's your take? Would 100% free and open APIs be enough to level the playing field and restore fair play to the computer industry? Would you trust Microsoft to go through with it, to document everything, and not to give their own application programmers early access to the APIs? If not, what would be a reasonable approach to settling the antitrust lawsuit and letting the industry move forward? Join in!

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