VNUNet reports that OSI has approved several Microsoft submitted licenses.

The OSI approves licences by validating compliance to ten rules set in the Open Source Definition. The decision was reached with an "overwhelming majority " of the votes, but not unanimously, OSI president Michael Tiemann said in a posting on the group's website.

Microsoft appears pleased with this development. Although the firm has traded barbs with the FOSS community in the past, it appears to compete with specific FOSS products, rather than the FOSS movement more generally. To Microsoft, having its licenses OSI approved may simply mean that it can have closer interactions with the FOSS community, and adopt wider business models than its tradtional strategies.

Microsoft welcomed the decision. " This is a significant milestone in the progression of Microsoft's open source strategy and the company's ongoing commitment to participation in the open source community to effectively meet the evolving needs of developers," the company said in an emailed statement.

Of course, not everyone is celebrating. It appears Google wants to keep Microsoft out of the FOSS tent.

Google's open source programme manager Chris DiBona had argued that Microsoft should be required to meet requirements beyond the ten listed in the Open Source Definition to gain approval for its licences. DiBona's plea however was turned down. In his posting, Tiemann said that OSI and Microsoft had a constructive dialog, "in spite of recent negative interactions between Microsoft and the open source community."

Microsoft wins by having means for closer collaboration with the FOSS community, the FOSS movement wins by gaining recognition from one of the largest technology firms in the world. Google does not win, because it has not made life more difficult for Microsoft.