Office Source Code? I May Be Eating Humble Pie!

Big news today in the world of Office! CNet reports that Microsoft is considering making the source code for Microsoft Office available through its Shared Source Program. Quoting from the article:

"Microsoft is considering an expansion of a program that would allow companies to see the source code underlying its Office software and other applications. The company's Shared Source Initiative, launched nearly three years ago, allows business customers, governments, business partners, and academic institutions access to the source code, or software blueprint, underlying Microsoft's Windows operating system and other products."

Personally, I find this to be exciting! Not because I will ever qualify to be in the Shared Source Program or even be able to understand the C++ code that makes up the Office code base. I have a few reasons for my enthusiasm: First, ISVs have often been limited in extending Office to the available programming API. With the source code, they can look under the hood and hook into the internals, possibly making the previously impossible POSSIBLE! I perceive this to be of great value to Microsoft's partners who had value the platform.