Microsoft will release its own Linux distribution

Yes. You heard right: Microsoft really plans to release its own distribution of the open source Linux operating system. It will be named Azure Cloud Switch (ACS), and in short it can be described as a cross-platform modular operating system for managing data centers.

You probably know that Microsoft has Azure's personal cloud platform, which allows you to store and process huge data arrays, remotely execute various applications and even gives Xbox One gaming console additional computing power. Today, Azure data centers have more than 300,000 powerful servers.
Microsoft believes in the future of open networks, so ACS is primarily aimed at simplifying the configuration, monitoring, diagnostics and management of data centers and huge arrays of network switches (popularly known as "switches") from a variety of manufacturers. ACS, according to the press release, will take full advantage of the Linux ecosystem. Of course, the system will support not only the software released for it by Microsoft, but any other open source software.

Microsoft will release its own Linux distribution
The press release does not say openly why Microsoft decided to use Linux as the basis of this distribution. But, most likely, the reason is the fact that most of the network equipment is running Linux, embedded in the NAND-memory devices, and convince the manufacturers to change their approach from Microsoft would hardly work.
Well, Linus Torvalds can open champagne for this, albeit small, but about. Many of us could not even imagine that Microsoft would one day take such an unusual step. But the IT industry is developing, and even giant corporations understand that a monopoly approach to the market is not always beneficial.