Windows Azure Offers Developers Iron-Clad Lock-in 227
snydeq writes "Microsoft's move to the cloud is certain to create a whole new kind of developer partner, Fatal Exception's Neil McAllister writes. But as much as Microsoft ISVs will likely go along with the shift to Windows Azure to keep revenue streams going, the kind of lock-in they will experience will be worlds away from what they face today. Rather than being able to ignore the new version of a key framework, developers will have no other option than to update their code to suit Microsoft's latest platform. That kind of lock-in will leave customers in the lurch, subject to their vendors' bottom lines, as ISVs that can't afford to rework code to keep up with Microsoft's latest platform will begin dropping services, and customers will have little choice but to accept the new terms of service their vendors send along."
Re:Like iPhone (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Vuze? (Score:5, Informative)
So it's OK for MS to remove the "us" at the end of Azureus to make Azure and everybody should be OK with that, but if somebody tries to replace the W in windows with an L to make Lindows, everyone should be up in arms about that?
In both cases, it seems like it has much more to do with WHO owns the trademark than with any sharply objective dividing line of legal fairness.
Microsoft did not "remove the 'us' from Azureus". Azure is a word already.
More importantly MS is not selling a product called "Azure", they have given a product they are developing the code name "Azure". When they actually release the product if they call it Azure, then it might be time to discuss this.
If you really need < package > (Score:3, Informative)
Slashdot has a sister site [sourceforge.net] where people various open source products are presented, rated, provided and supported.
This search for "reporting" [sourceforge.net] should get you started. Apparently the JasperReports reporting engine is stable and well though of, and iReports is a popular interface to it. But I haven't tried them.
Good luck.
Re:Vuze? (Score:3, Informative)
...compared to "Azureus" (which is a made up word)...
Azureus is not a made-up word; it comes from dendrobates azureus--the Latin name of the blue poison dart frog--which serves as the program's logo.
Re:Ms is better at legacy support than anyone (Score:3, Informative)
Ummm... IBM called, would like their title back.
Code written for the 1988 release of the AS/400 still runs on the current incarnations of the iSeries with no modifications. They have swapped out the processor architecture twice (at least) since that first announce.
And I expect someone from the zSeries (nee s/360) to come along and point out a date 20 years earlier...