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April 04, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Microsoft's Linux play

TAGS: Platforms

News yesterday that Microsoft would support Linux and make its Virtual Server R2 free has shocked the industry.

The Motley Fool writes of the software giant's open source bear hug: "Do me a favor: Check your backyard. Are cats and dogs playing a mild-mannered game of tiddlywinks? I only ask because this morning's news has me convinced that the apocalypse is upon us."

As Motley notes, it may be hard to understand what has brought this on, but it says recent data from IDC may help. Last year Windows surpassed Unix as the top server operating system, accounting for $17.7 billion in 2005 server sales versus $17.5 billion for Unix boxes, March report said. Linux came in third at $5.3 billion. It is the first time Windows has occupied the top spot since IDC began tracking server market share in 1996.

Motley opined: "Here's the problem: Mergers and acquisitions are on the rise. As much as culture clashes can cause issues, merging tech infrastructures is often the biggest pain. Offering compatibility across platforms is the only way to reassure nervous IT managers afraid of betting on the wrong horse. This new Virtual Server may offer a measure of assurance to those who like the tight integration between Windows servers and PCs, but who also have Linux clients to worry about. (Or vice versa.)"

Posted by Mike Barton on April 4, 2006 02:02 PM

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