In a global battle for customers, Microsoft is betting that giving governments a peek at its underlying code for Windows operating systems will keep them from straying to open-source software alternatives, such as Linux.
But some analysts said that the company's initiative alone might not be enough to hold onto those wavering between Microsoft's proprietary Windows and open-source software, in which the underlying code could be downloaded for free.
Also, because developers can share, improve and redistribute open-source code, some contend it is safer from attack than Microsoft's technology - a claim the software behemoth disputes.
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