Microsoft spreads the public sector love...

Microsoft will share information about security problems with government agencies as part of its efforts to slow the spread of open source software.

Gerri Elliott, corporate vice-president of Microsoft's worldwide public-sector unit, said under the Security Cooperation Program, Microsoft will advise participating government agencies on network security issues in an effort to try to anticipate or mitigate security lapses.

Governments will get information on existing security flaws as well as advanced information on upcoming product patches, which also means getting information on vulnerabilities before the general public does.

Giorgio Vanzini, director of government engagement in Microsoft's Platforms Business Management unit, said: "We will give them information on what we know."

For the past two to three years, the Redmond, Washington-based software maker has launched a multi-faceted diplomatic offensive to expand internationally and stem the growing interest in Linux and open source software among government buyers.

Security has been a headache for customers large and small. In the Government Security Program, Microsoft agreed to allow countries to examine the company's source code as a way to allay fears that "back doors" might exist that could compromise security.

Microsoft will also help local governments on public awareness programmes and better securing their own networks. Participation is free.

The programme was announced at Microsoft's Government Leaders Forum in Prague, a quarterly conference for government officials that hops between regions.

Although the programme was mostly designed for large developing nations like China, 36 national governments have signed up for the programme and three more will be announced soon, said Microsoft.

The company has also created educational programmes that let emerging nations in Africa and elsewhere buy copies of Microsoft Office for educational institutions for a few pounds. Chairman Bill Gates and chief executive Steve Ballmer regularly visit with national leaders like China's Jiang Zemin. Stanislav Gross, the prime minister of the Czech Republic, for example, opened a Microsoft conference with Gates.

The company even invests in overseas start-ups and joint ventures, something Microsoft has largely stopped doing in the US.

Giving a government agency advance notice of security problems for free derives from the role government agencies play, Elliot said.

Government agencies, however, have also been some of the most active in promoting open source software, both as a way to cut costs and promote local companies. South Korea has said that it wants 20 per cent of the desktops and 30 per cent of the servers at government agencies and universities to run open source software.

In Europe, the local government of Vienna is moving forward with a voluntary open source programme aimed at cutting software acquisition costs.

Although announcements by governments to embrace open source software have grabbed headlines and have given the open source movement momentum, some have stalled. A migration toward open source software with City of Paris has been sidelined for now because of the costs involved in switching from Microsoft to open source software.

Michael Kanellos writes for CNET News.com.