Microsoft releases another Linux product and AIs take over the world (or the Go board at least.
SQL server on Linux
I’ve mentioned a couple of times in the past how Microsoft seems to be opening up and having a more cross-platform strategy. Last week they made an announcement that makes this even more obvious: there is going to be a SQL server for Linux.
This is in many ways a good example of how changes in how we interact with applications (mainly because of mobile and Cloud Computing) impact business models. SQL server has for a long time been a major reason to have a Windows server, and at some point next year it will be possible for a number of companies to get rid of that extra server. A lot of server applications run on Linux, so it will make sense to consolidate to a single platform.
Not only will that save on server costs (after all, you no longer need to pay a Windows license), but it will make maintenance of those servers easier. It’s pretty rare to have someone who is an expert on both Windows and Linux servers, so having to deal with only one side makes things a lot easier.
From Microsoft’s perspective this all fits in neatly with their previous moves as well. Specifically their interest in running .NET applications on Linux, and other cross platform moves. Inside Azure this likely also means they can offer SQL as a service for a lower price, making up for that in scale.
Of course, it’s still a year away and I have no idea how many barriers they’ll need to overcome in order to make it all work. It also wouldn’t be the first time that Microsoft (or any company) has backed away from something they proposed to implement.
More on Go
No, again it’s the game, not the programming language. Several weeks ago I mentioned how AlphaGo, Google’s Go AI had beaten the European champion. Well, last week they went one step further and beat Lee Sedol, one of the top Go players in the world. Well, there is actually still one of the 5 matches left to play, but AlphaGo won the first 3 matches to secure the win before Lee Sedol won the fourth game1.
I’m not going to go into why I think this is important again, for that you can read the earlier article, but I have to say that I’m very impressed. I didn’t expect that Google would set up a match like this unless they genuinely believed they had a good chance, but it’s impressive to see the AI do this. Additionally, I highly recommend reading this article by Wired about these matches and the consequences it will have.
Apple vs FBI update
While I’ve been quiet about it since my original article, there is still a lot happening on an almost daily basis concerning the FBI’s demand. This has included many things, including claims about magical unicorns, the acknowledgment by the FBI that this won’t be the only time they’ll use it, a judge denying the FBI’s request in a similar case, and senate hearings.
I feel like I’ve made my opinion about it clear when I wrote that article and I’m not going to post everything I come across. Next week, on the 22nd (the day after Apple will announce their new products), will be Apple’s court appearance about this matter. I hope that sanity will prevail there, and I will most likely write about it once I’ve had the chance to process it2.