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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 that are used by any other Microsoft product to communicate with these products.
The release of these protocol specifications enables and encourages 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 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 that are used by any other Microsoft product will be made openly available to the developer community in a nondiscriminatory 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 June 30, 2008, Microsoft announced several new actions that deliver on the commitments in its Interoperability Principles, published earlier in 2008, to increase the openness of its products and to drive greater interoperability, opportunity, and choice for developers, partners, customers, and competitors. Highlights of the actions announced include posting version 1.0 of the technical documentation for protocols built into Office 2007, Office SharePoint Server 2007, and Exchange Server 2007; posting new technical documentation for the Microsoft Office binary files formats .doc, .xls, .xlsb, and .ppt; and making significant strides in the company's efforts to foster more open engagement with other members of the IT community.
Protocol Documentation
Protocol Documentation
Protocol documentation is available to view and download from the MSDN Web site. This documentation includes protocols licensed under the Microsoft Communications Protocol Program (MCPP) and Work Group Server Protocol Program (WSPP) protocol licensing programs as well as documentation for protocols that are built into Office 2007, Office SharePoint Server 2007, and Exchange Server 2007.
Windows Vista (including the .NET Framework) and Windows Server 2008 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 MCPP technical documentation set provides specifications for protocols that are implemented and used in Windows client operating systems (specifically Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and successors up to and including Windows Vista) to interoperate or communicate natively with Windows Server operating systems (specifically Windows NT 3.1 up to and including Windows Server 2008).
The 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 services and user & group administration services to Windows work group networks.
Microsoft Office 2007 Protocols
This release of Microsoft Office protocol documentation provides version 1.0 specifications for protocols that are implemented in Office 2007 client applications and that are used to communicate with Microsoft server products.
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Protocols
This release of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 protocol documentation provides version 1.0 specifications for protocols that are implemented in Office SharePoint Server 2007 software and that are used to communicate with other Microsoft server products.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Protocols
This release of Exchange Server 2007 protocol documentation provides version 1.0 specifications for protocols that are implemented in Exchange Server 2007 and that are used to communicate with Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 and other Microsoft server products.
Community Forums
Microsoft also hosts forums specific to the documentation.
Open Protocols Technical Support
Various support options are available for developers and partners. For more details about the different support options, contact the Microsoft Open Protocols 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 SQL Server 2008 protocols following the release of that product to the market. The following patent licenses are currently available:
Microsoft also offers two Windows protocol programs:
Microsoft Communications Protocol Program
This program grants licenses to create server software that interoperates with Windows desktop operating systems.
Microsoft Work Group Server Protocol Program
This program grants licenses to create server software that interoperates with Microsoft Windows server and desktop operating systems to provide file & print services and user and group administration services.
For more information, contact the Microsoft Open Protocols Team.
Patent Maps
To assist you in determining whether a patent license may be beneficial for you, Microsoft provides the following lists of protocols that are covered by one or more Microsoft patents or patent applications. To receive a patent map showing the specific patents on these protocols, please send an e-mail message to the Open Protocols team.
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