Microsoft has done what many would have though unthinkable, just a few years ago – it has launched its own Linux OS as part of its new Azure Sphere security offering. Perhaps more importantly, Microsoft is now licensing chip designs, aiming to provide the silicon, OS, and then cloud systems that can work together to provide a very secure IoT platform. However, this screams of land-grab ambitions, and is likely to leave rivals concerned. The new approach is being pitched at device manufacturers, across a number of markets, including white goods, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure. Microsoft says that it has been sharing its plans for Azure Sphere with a number of these companies, and that they have collectively identified security,…