Web Changes
This is where we'll announce the most recent additions
to our web site. If you've visited us before and want
to know what's changed, take a look here first.
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![[New!]](images/smallnew.gif)
CompanyLongName
Establishes Internet Presence
- See the
press release for more details.
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- Read about VOS
(Virtual Office Solution).
- See the
product data sheet for more details.
Press Releases
Microsoft to offer Linux
software?
Tuesday,
December 10, 2002 Posted: 8:54 AM
EST (1354 GMT)
SEATTLE,
Washington (Reuters) -- In
a major strategy shift, Microsoft
Corp. will introduce software based
on the Linux open source operating
system in 2004 for Web services and
server software, market researcher
META Group predicted on Monday.
Microsoft, which denied that it
had any plans to develop software
for Linux, is facing a growing
threat from the open source software
standard as it gains share in the
corporate server market used to
manage networks and data.
META Group predicted that Linux
will be used on nearly half of new
servers by 2007, up from its current
share of 15 to 20 percent, making it
difficult for Microsoft to ignore
Linux as a platform for its
database, Web hosting and e-mail
server applications.
"We believe that, beginning
in late 2004, Microsoft (and its
partners) will begin moving some of
its (to-date) proprietary
application enablers (e.g., .Net
components) to the Linux
environment; this will gradually
include the major Microsoft
back-office products, such as SQL
Server, IIS, and Exchange,"
META Group said.
Group: Microsoft will lower
prices
In a further shift, META Group
said that Microsoft will also
re-price or separate its Windows
server operating system "so
that it can be favorably compared
against 'free' Linux."
"I'm unaware of any efforts
at this time to move any products
onto Linux," said Peter
Houston, senior director at
Microsoft's server group, adding
that there were no plans to detach
or re-price its Windows server
operating system.
"We have made a bet on
Windows, and we believe that
customers are getting value from the
bet we made," said Houston,
"and we're going to continue
doing what we've been doing for
customers."
Linux advocates argue that Linux
offers better security, flexibility
and innovation because its
underlying code, or blueprint, for
programs remains open to evaluation
and scrutiny.
Microsoft, which has grown into
the world's largest software maker
by selling proprietary software that
cannot be copied or modified freely,
said it is not opposed to
open-source software, and points out
that its source code is available to
approved partners and educational
institutions on a limited basis.
Microsoft faced a similar
situation a decade ago when its
nascent server software was
competing head-to-head with market
leader Sun Microsystems Inc. , but
Microsoft did not choose at the time
to write software for Sun's
proprietary version of Unix.
Linux use grows
Now Linux, essentially a free
version of Unix, is eating away at
Sun's share of the business server
market.
Sun, a hardware and software
maker, is now selling computers
running Linux, a strategy that was
also embraced by International
Business Machines Corp.
Redmond, Washington-based
Microsoft has toned down its
criticism of Linux recently, after
an internal strategy document said
that some of its arguments against
open source software has
"backfired."
Instead, Microsoft has stressed
that its software is more affordable
when considering the total cost of
using Linux, including ongoing
personnel and administration costs.
Microsoft fights back
A recent Microsoft-sponsored
study by researcher IDC concluded
that servers based on Microsoft's
Windows 2000 were cheaper to own and
operate when used for networking,
storing and sharing files, printing
and security, while Linux servers
were cheaper to operate when used
for Web hosting.
"The IDC study shows that
the upfront cost is a small part of
the total cost to the
customer," said Microsoft's
Houston.
META Group's report also came to
the same conclusion, saying that
Linux's total costs of ownership
were likely to be higher for
mainstream server applications.
"IT organizations must
evaluate platform costs from a
total-cost-of-ownership
perspective," META Group's
report said.
Recent Media Coverage of
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