Microsoft Warms Up To Open Source, Makes Pact With SugarCRM.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN

Is a cold front headed for Hades?

Long cast as the Great Satan by some open-source backers, Microsoft has pledged to work with SugarCRM, an up-and-coming startup that makes open-source business software.

The pact, set to be unveiled Tuesday, is the second major deal between Microsoft and an open-source firm. In September, Microsoft forged a pact with JBoss, an open-source software firm that's said to be in buyout talks with Oracle.

Both deals are signs that Microsoft has softened its stance against the open-source trend -- a movement that Microsoft's CEO once called a "cancer."

But the partnerships are mainly about trying to extend Microsoft's …