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.
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http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/biztech...eut/index.html

Hey, I remember this, I read this back in December.. kind of old news really. Oh well..

If they start making software for Linux, will anyone really use it? Many people chose Linux because they wanted to get away from MS, not to use thier software.

Microsoft cheaper to run on a network? NOT, as an MCSE who buys the stuff and gets the licensing sorted out I don't know who they are trying to kid with that. You can get people to say anything if you pay them to do it, it also depends on the questions that the company doing the research asked. I think to a certain extent Fingel is right here, people move to Linux because they don't like the way Misrosoft do buisiness, but it's also down to the fact that they want something that will work. You get sick of security problems, viruses and blue screens after a while even when proping up the software is your job. I think if they did start making linux compatible software and if it were good people would use it though but I can't see that happening, you see they're not really into offering people a choice, it's more a case of the Microsoft way or nothing and any apps they made would probably try to take over your PC or be so bloated with functionality that you would never use that only the sheep would use it. Who knows though maybe Bill's got religion or something and it trying to steer the might Microsoft ship back to the right path?

Really. How excited do you think your average Linux administrator is going to be about loading MS software -- with more security flaws than you can shake several sticks at -- onto their nice Apache server?

My pessimistic side thinks that they'd offer this software and when the demand never appears, call a press conference to tell the world that ``See! No one really wants this Open Source stuff after all!''.

I think this is great news, let M$ come into the game, you dont have to use their distro, but I woudl oove for them to bring office and other m$ apps to the Linux world

1) Like was said above... why would any sysad or home user load a closed source Microsoft binary onto their Linux/Unix box?

2) If Microsoft ever released the source to ANY of their apps they would be flamed from now until Christ returns.

Interestingly enough, Microsoft is releasing there source code to the Chinese government because China is really gun-ho about having the source code for there operating systems.

Oh sure, like quick glance at the source code is going to convince everyone in the Chinese government that there are no back doors in there. Of course, this is the same Chinese govt. that won't allow the Rolling Stones to include `Brown Sugar' and `Let's Spend the Night Together' in their concert playlist as being too subversive but, apparently, don't mind `Street Fightin' Man'. Go figure.

I dont think it is like that.

China have already threated to move over to Linux becasue of the increased security you get and I think they have problems with the way that Winblows sends information across the internet and this is deemed unsuitable by Teh cinese gov.

dont blame them really. The peruvian givernment are the same.

Here is a link on the whole Microsoft/China thing if you are interested.

M$ vs Linux

I am downloading dozens of security updates, literally dozens because of their screwed-up software. They call their platform secure? When have I ever downloaded a security update for Red Hat? Never!

I bet there's so much unneeded junk in their program code that the CPU has to work twice as hard to just get through all of it to do its thing. Programmers would know what I'm talking about. Then look at Linux. It loads up right away and works flawlessly.

Just look at microsoft, all they're talking about is price. I mean, I could go run a DOS server for free, even a server that is extremely vulnerable. And if I was thinking about the price, then that would be the perfect choice, right? Well m$ thinks so. I would pay double for Red Hat if it ever had a price tag, don't tell rh that.

And the whole microsoft progs on Linux deal? No. Just - no. How bout no. I don't think so! If I ever want to run a windows program hell I'd run XP so that when I ran them it'd only run on my windows partition. NO windows program is ever going to TOUCH my Linux partition. Microsoft, forget it.

The only good thing Microsoft has going for them is that so many third-party program companies back them up. If there were more programs written for Linux, Linux would make microsoft crawl back into it's hole of closed source.

Microsoft makes a great operating system, don't doubt it, but the point is - Linux is just better, and Bill Gates can't win any argument against that.

Very cool news article you found by the way!

Errr, if I was you I would seriously think about downloading some updates for Redhat. I'd imagine your box is wide open right now. Redhat includes an automatic update program, maybe you should use it?

Yeah but I don't want to pay anything ... I remember how someone described how to get the update files from the terminal, does anybody know how to do that?