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In order to foster innovation and interoperability, Microsoft is making available the protocols in Windows Vista (including the .NET framework), Windows Server 2008, Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. These protocols are used by any other Microsoft product to communicate with the aforementioned products.
The release of the protocol specifications and patent licenses enable and encourage a vibrant development community. The result will be smarter, interoperable products that can be released in coordination with Microsoft product releases.
Open Connections to Microsoft Products
Microsoft recently announced the implementation of four new interoperability principles and corresponding actions across its high-volume business products: ensuring open connections, promoting data portability, enhancing support for industry standards, and driving engagement that is more open.
These principles apply to the following Microsoft products (and their successors): Windows Vista (including the .NET Framework), Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007, and Office SharePoint Server 2007.
As part of the commitment to ensuring open connections to its high-volume products, Microsoft commits that all the protocols in its high-volume products used by any other Microsoft product will be made openly available to the developer community in a non-discriminatory fashion. These Open Protocols may include protocols that implement industry standards.
Documentation for the Open Protocols will be made available without charge and without restriction on the MSDN Library in the Open Protocol Specifications area.
Patent licenses for patents on Open Protocols will also be made available at low royalty rates.
Latest News
On April 8, 2008, Microsoft took another step toward fulfilling its interoperability principle of ensuring open connections to its high-volume products and driving greater interoperability, opportunity and choice across the IT community of developers, partners, customers, and competitors.
Protocol Documentation and Community Forums
Protocol Documentation
Protocol documentation is available to view and download on MSDN. This documentation includes protocols licensed under the MCPP and WSPP protocol licensing programs. It also includes preliminary documents for protocols in some of Microsoft’s high-volume products. Below is a brief description of the available Open Protocol documentation.
Community Forums
Microsoft will use its developer portal, MSDN, to publish the Open APIs and Open Protocols, and to host forums specific to the documentation. Access the Open Protocol Specifications forums.
Microsoft Windows Protocols
The Windows protocols documentation set provides detailed technical specifications for Microsoft proprietary protocols (including extensions to industry-standard or other published protocols) in Windows.
The Microsoft Communications Protocol Program (MCPP) technical documentation set provides specifications for protocols that are implemented and used in Windows client operating systems (namely Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and successors up to and including Windows Vista) to interoperate or communicate natively with Windows Server operating systems (namely Windows NT 3.1 up to and including Windows Server 2008).
The Work Group Server Protocol Program (WSPP) technical documentation set provides specifications for protocols that are implemented in Microsoft Windows Server work group server operating system software and that are used to deliver file & print and user & group administration services to Windows work group networks.
Microsoft Office Protocols
This release of Microsoft Office protocol documentation provides preliminary specifications for protocols that are implemented in Microsoft Office client applications and that are used to communicate with other Microsoft server products.
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Protocols
This release of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server protocol documentation provides preliminary specifications for protocols that are implemented in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server software and that are used to communicate with other Microsoft server products.
Microsoft Exchange Server Protocols
This release of Exchange Server protocol documentation provides preliminary specifications for protocols that are implemented in Exchange Server and which are used to communicate with Microsoft Outlook and with other Microsoft server products.
Open Protocols Technical Support
Various support options are available for developers and partners. For more details about the different support options, contact the Microsoft Protocol Programs Licensing Team.
Patent Licensing
Some of the Microsoft protocols include patented inventions, and others do not. You may benefit from a patent license if you are distributing implementations of these protocols commercially or if you use an implementation of any of the protocols covered by Microsoft patents. For more information, contact the Microsoft Open Protocols Team.
Patent licenses will be available for Microsoft Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007, Office SharePoint Server 2007, and SQL Server 2008 protocols in the next few months.
Currently, Microsoft offers two Windows protocol programs.
Microsoft Communications Protocol Program (MCPP)
This program enables you to create server software that interoperates with Windows desktop operating systems.
Microsoft Work Group Server Protocol Program (WSPP)
This program enables you to create server software that interoperates with Microsoft Windows server and desktop operating systems to provide file & print and user & group administration services.
For more information, contact the Microsoft Open Protocols Team.
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