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Docker Just Scored A Big Win With Microsoft Partnership

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At the Ignite conference in Atlanta, Microsoft announced the general availability of Windows Server 2016. Along with it came a slew of other announcements related to Docker and containers. Microsoft would be bundling the commercial version of Docker with every copy of Windows Server 2016 with no additional cost. It would also provide support to all the customers using the commercial Docker Engine. Microsoft would also position and highlight Docker Datacenter, a container management platform from Docker, Inc., to its enterprise customer base.

The enterprise data center primarily runs on Windows and Linux. With over 60% of the x86 server market share, Windows Server is a dominant OS in the enterprise. The partnership between Microsoft and Docker brings containers to the massive community of developers using .NET and Windows. Though Microsoft had the history of pushing a parallel agenda, the new Microsoft is all for collaboration with the open source ecosystem. It decided to expose its container technology based on the standards defined by Docker. This decision benefits both the Microsoft ecosystem and the large open source community betting on containers.

According to Docker, Inc., the Microsoft partnership included the following:

  • The Commercially Supported Docker Engine aka “CS Docker Engine”, Docker, Inc.’s tested, validated, and supported package of Docker Engine, will be available to Windows Server 2016 customers at no additional cost
  • Microsoft will provide Windows Server 2016 customers enterprise support for CS Docker Engine, backed by Docker, Inc
  • Docker and Microsoft will jointly promote Docker Datacenter to enable IT Pros to secure the Windows Server software supply chain and manage containerized Windows Server workloads, whether on-prem, in the cloud, or hybrid.

With the Microsoft deal, Docker scored a notable win for the following reasons:

  • Docker’s key to monetization is selling the Commercially Supported Docker Engine, CS Docker. With Microsoft deciding to bundle it with Windows Server 2016, the company would be paying a royalty or license fee for each copy of the OS sold in the market. This means the broader adoption of Windows Server 2016 will keep Docker’s cash register ringing. Effectively, Docker closed a deal that would help it sell the most critical product in an auto-pilot mode.
  • In the container market, the most saleable category is container orchestration and management products, aka Containers as a Service (CaaS). Over a dozen companies are competing in the space to become the VMware of containers. Docker Datacenter is the flagship container management solution from Docker, Inc. After CS Docker, it’s the Datacenter product that will fetch the maximum customer base for the company. With the Microsoft partnership, Docker, Inc. will be able to position its container management product to the large enterprise customer base using Windows. It would help the company in leapfrogging the competition through a rapid acquisition of enterprise customers.
  • With tight integration with Azure, Docker can ride on Microsoft’s hybrid push. Enterprise customers using Docker on Windows Server and Azure Stack will find it easy to extend it to the public cloud. This move will drive Docker's adoption across on-premises and cloud deployments.
  • As Microsoft continues to invest in Visual Studio and PowerShell, Docker will benefit from the tooling support for DevOps. Through familiar tooling and workflow, existing developer and ops community will be able to embrace Docker seamlessly. All Docker got to do is to continue its collaboration with Microsoft to keep the integration of the toolchain current.

While this deal has repercussions for the container ecosystem, it is certainly a win for Docker, Microsoft, and the broader community.

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