Windows Interface Source Environment
Encyclopedia
Windows Interface Source Environment (or WISE) was a licensing program from Microsoft
which allowed developers to recompile and run Windows-based applications on UNIX
and Macintosh
platforms.
WISE SDK
s were based on an emulation of the Windows API
which could run on Unix and Macintosh platforms.
s were not directly provided by Microsoft
. Instead Microsoft established partnerships to several software providers (which needed to have access to Windows internals source code) which in turn sold WISE SDKs to end-user
s. A few software providers provided WISE SDKs or emulators, mainly:
designed by Microsoft to penetrate the Unix
market. Companies which provided WISE SDKs needed to have access to Windows source code, which made them dependent on Microsoft's good will. In 1999, Bristol Technology Inc.
, a software company which provided a WISE SDK, sued Microsoft, arguing that it illegally withheld Windows source code and used its dominant position with Windows to move into other markets. A ruling later ordered Microsoft to pay $1 Million to Bristol Technologies.
s, software providers needed to have access to Windows
internals source code. In 2004, more than 30000 source files from Windows 2000
and Windows NT
were leaked to the internet. It was later discovered that the source of the leak originated from Mainsoft
, one of the WISE software providers.
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
which allowed developers to recompile and run Windows-based applications on UNIX
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
and Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
platforms.
WISE SDK
Software development kit
A software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...
s were based on an emulation of the Windows API
Windows API
The Windows API, informally WinAPI, is Microsoft's core set of application programming interfaces available in the Microsoft Windows operating systems. It was formerly called the Win32 API; however, the name "Windows API" more accurately reflects its roots in 16-bit Windows and its support on...
which could run on Unix and Macintosh platforms.
History
WISE was issued in 1994. WISE Software development kitSoftware development kit
A software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...
s were not directly provided by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. Instead Microsoft established partnerships to several software providers (which needed to have access to Windows internals source code) which in turn sold WISE SDKs to end-user
End-user
Economics and commerce define an end user as the person who uses a product. The end user or consumer may differ from the person who purchases the product...
s. A few software providers provided WISE SDKs or emulators, mainly:
- MainsoftMainsoftMainsoft is a software company, founded in 1993, that develop interoperability software products for Microsoft Windows and Linux/Unix platforms.-History:Mainsoft was founded in 1993, mainly to propose integration solutions between Windows and other systems....
developed a product called Mainwin, which provided an implementation of MFCMicrosoft Foundation Class LibraryThe Microsoft Foundation Class Library is a library that wraps portions of the Windows API in C++ classes, including functionality that enables them to use a default application framework...
on UnixUnixUnix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
platforms, - Bristol Technology Inc.Bristol Technology Inc.Bristol Technology Inc. was a software development company founded in January 1991 by Keith, Ken, and Jean Blackwell. The company's original product idea, Wind/U, was an implementation of the Windows API on non-Windows operating systems...
developed Wind/U, which ran on top of MotifMotif (widget toolkit)In computing, Motif refers to both a graphical user interface specification and the widget toolkit for building applications that follow that specification under the X Window System on Unix and other POSIX-compliant systems. It emerged in the 1980s as Unix workstations were on the rise, as a...
, - Insignia Solutions provided an emulator called SoftwindowsSoftPCSoftPC and SoftWindows were software emulators of x86 hardware. The emulators were developed by Insignia Solutions. Available originally on UNIX workstations to run MS-DOS, the software eventually was ported to Mac OS and also gained the ability to run Windows software...
, - Locus Computing CorporationLocus Computing CorporationLocus Computing Corporation was formed in 1982 by Gerald J. Popekto commercialize the technologies developed for the LOCUS distributed operating system at UCLA...
provided an emulator called MergeMerge (software)Merge is a software system which allows a user to run DOS/Windows 3.1 on SCO UNIX, in an 8086 virtual machine.Merge was originally developed to run DOS under UNIX System V Release 2 on an AT&T 6300+ personal computer...
.
Unfair use of Microsoft dominant position
The WISE program, which was discontinued shortly after its inception, was seen by some as a Trojan horseTrojan horse (business)
In business, a trojan horse is an advertising offer made by a company that is designed to draw potential customers by offering them cash or something of value for acceptance, but following acceptance, the buyer is forced to spend a much larger amount of money, either by being signed into a lengthy...
designed by Microsoft to penetrate the Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
market. Companies which provided WISE SDKs needed to have access to Windows source code, which made them dependent on Microsoft's good will. In 1999, Bristol Technology Inc.
Bristol Technology Inc.
Bristol Technology Inc. was a software development company founded in January 1991 by Keith, Ken, and Jean Blackwell. The company's original product idea, Wind/U, was an implementation of the Windows API on non-Windows operating systems...
, a software company which provided a WISE SDK, sued Microsoft, arguing that it illegally withheld Windows source code and used its dominant position with Windows to move into other markets. A ruling later ordered Microsoft to pay $1 Million to Bristol Technologies.
Source code leak
To be able to develop WISE SDKSoftware development kit
A software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...
s, software providers needed to have access to Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
internals source code. In 2004, more than 30000 source files from Windows 2000
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
and Windows NT
Windows NT
Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. It was a powerful high-level-language-based, processor-independent, multiprocessing, multiuser operating system with features comparable to Unix. It was intended to complement...
were leaked to the internet. It was later discovered that the source of the leak originated from Mainsoft
Mainsoft
Mainsoft is a software company, founded in 1993, that develop interoperability software products for Microsoft Windows and Linux/Unix platforms.-History:Mainsoft was founded in 1993, mainly to propose integration solutions between Windows and other systems....
, one of the WISE software providers.