The broader significance of the deal, Duplessie says, is that "Microsoft needs to be able to become a licensing company in the storage space, and this could be the first successful manifestation of that."
In addition to the Windows communication protocols, NetApp is licensing the set of Windows Media protocols. Presumably it will employ these in its NetCache content-delivery appliances.
Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. On its Website, Microsoft says it has established standard pricing for licensing the protocols, but "due to the confidential nature of this information, the pricing schedule will be shared only with potential licensees that have signed a non-disclosure agreement." In addition, Microsoft says it believes "the license fees represent a small fraction of the potential value to be gained by the licensee." [Ed. note: Wait, isn't Microsoft supposed to have been humbled?]
More information about the Microsoft protocol-licensing program is available at http://www.microsoft.com/legal/protocols
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