I've previous written about Microsoft becoming a more open company. As a developer I've seen the trend, from developer groups blogging, Channel9 offering an insight into the "blue monster", and recent open- or shared source initiatives like IronPython, DLR, AJAX Control Toolkit, the AJAX JavaScript Framework and more. Today Microsoft is moving in a new direction with an important announcement around their new principles for interoperability. This is great news, and a sign that this change of openness is not something only happening in the developer groups, but something that is now being enforced all the way from their CEO Steve Ballmer and chief architect Ray Ozzie.

Microsoft today announced a set of broad-reaching changes to its technology and business practices to increase the openness of its products and drive greater interoperability, opportunity and choice. These changes are codified into four new interoperability principles and corresponding actions:

1) ensuring open connections;
2) promoting data portability;
3) enhancing support for industry standards; and
4) fostering more open engagement with customers and the industry, including open source communities.

For more information check out the Microsoft PressPass site.