Microsoft Corp. just did something that would have seemed impossible five years ago: It has joined the Linux Foundation, backing software that former Chief Executive Steve Ballmer once called a “cancer.”

Admittedly that was awhile ago, but the move, kicking off the software giant’s third annual Connect(); developer conference in New York today, marks the latest milestone in current CEO Satya Nadella’s ongoing campaign to foster closer ties with the open-source community.

By now, the embrace of Linux isn’t a surprise to people who have been paying attention in recent years. Microsoft previously joined several Linux Foundation sub-groups as part of this push, including the OpenDaylight network automation effort and the Open Container Initiative to develop a common standard for microservices-based applications. The company even launched a few projects of its own along the way to try and change its reputation as a proprietary-minded software company.

Among others, Microsoft has released the code for its .NET development framework along with a cross-platform version that works on Linux. The operating system and the foundation that bears its name stand at the very center of the firm’s open-source efforts.

One of the areas where Nadella’s focus on the platform has been most pronounced is the public cloud, where the software giant is aggressively competing for Linux workloads. Microsoft added support for more than a half-dozen distributions to its Azure infrastructure-as-a-service suite over the past few quarters, including flavors from Red Hat Inc. and other key competitors.

The software giant should be able to continue its open-source efforts more easily as an official member of the Linux Foundation. Microsoft is joining at the Platinum participation tier, which features only nine other companies and carries a $500,000 annual fee.

John Gossman, an architect with its Azure division, will join the The Linux Foundation Board of Directors as part of the move. His appointment will enable the company to take part in shaping the group’s organizational roadmap and become more directly involved in projects such as Opendaylight that are important to its long-term plans.

Image courtesy of Microsoft