Microsoft Has Maximum Open Source Contributors Per GitHub

As per an infographic report prepared by GitHub, an online community for programmers, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has the largest number of contributors to open source projects.

Microsoft leads with 16,419 contributors, followed by Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) with 15,682 contributors and docker with 14,059 contributors.

The Story So Far

From being averse to the concept of open source (free software, whose code is written by software developers from all around the world), Microsoft has come a long way on its stance on the subject.

After Satya Nadella took over as the CEO of Microsoft in 2014, the company has been open to the concept and started to support the Linux operating system, which is an open source operating system on its cloud computing platform Azure.

The Gradual Shift

Over the years, many businesses have embraced open source platforms to keep themselves abreast with the changes in the web world. Notably, the Linux operating platform, which was once considered to be Microsoft Window’s biggest competitor, has gained huge popularity as the operating system of choice for many corporate servers.

Realizing the popularity of Linux, it’s no surprise that Satya Nadella goes by the “Microsoft loves Linux”slogan and now backs key technologies via the open source route.

The GitHub survey makes it clear that Microsoft is actively pursuing the open source route to keep itself relevant in the present context.

We note that this is a significant achievement for Microsoft as increasing Linux support will improve its competitive position against cloud computing players like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and others.

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Zacks Rank & Key Picks

At present, Microsoft carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

A better-ranked stock in the broader technology space is Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVID) sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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