Meet the Head of Microsoft’s Linux Lab

Meet the Head of Microsoft’s Linux Lab: “Bill Hilf is the techie behind Microsoft’s Linux listening post. He also is a key player in Microsoft’s evolving strategy to reach out to the open-source community.

Hidden away in Building 17 — when he’s not on the road, working to counteract the impression among open-source backers that Microsoft is the devil personified — is Bill Hilf. Hilf works for Microsoft’s general manager of platform strategy and Linux point man, Martin Taylor. Hilf is the director of Microsoft’s platform technology strategy group. He also happens to run a sizeable Linux lab on the Redmond campus.

Linux running at Microsoft? Isn’t that sacrilege? Think of it more as a competitive advantage, said Hilf.ADVERTISEMENT

‘I am a non-Microsoft guy working at Microsoft,’ Hilf said.

His bio verifies his characterization. Before joining Microsoft about a year-plus ago, Hilf was instrumental in driving IBM’s Linux technical strategy for its emerging and competitive markets organization. Before his stint at IBM, Hilf was the senior director of engineering for eToys, where he helped build the company’s e-commerce business infrastructure. All told, Hilf has been involved with the open-source world for over a dozen years, he said.

Hilf says he spends a lot of time ‘making Linux more transparent to Microsoft managers.’ He does a lot of educating around the open-source development, testing, deployment and licensing models, he said.

Hilf’s job sometimes involves telling the Microsoft product managers ‘where we suck’ vis-a-vis open source. And sometimes it involves showing the Microsoft teams ‘where the big holes are in open-source environments.’

‘The bulk of my job is spent with the (Microsoft) product teams on where open-source software is going,’ he said.”

Spyware in 87% of corporate PCs

Spyware in 87% of corporate PCs: “

A majority of corporate and consumer PCs are infested with spyware and it’s quickly becoming the top preoccupation of IT professionals. That’s the gist of a new report from Webroot Software, which found various forms of spyware in 87% of the machines it scanned in the first quarter of 2005.

‘Despite the antispyware tools and legislation out there, we see no relief anytime soon because there’s too much money to be made by producing spyware,’ said Richard Stiennon, vice president of threat research for the Boulder, Colo.-based company. ‘The status of adware and more malicious forms of spyware is vibrant.’

The firm’s findings — unveiled Tuesday in its first quarterly State of Spyware Report — are similar to other studies in recent months. The National Cyber Security Alliance has found that 80% of all computers are infected, for example. Atlanta-based ISP Earthlink has said an estimated 90% of PCs are infected, and Dell Inc. has said spyware accounts for 12% of all PC help desk calls.”