NewsForge: How Useful Are 'Proprietary vs. Open Source' TCO Studies?

"NewsForge: Microsoft has recently been claiming--loudly--that the total cost of ownership (TCO) for its Windows server products are lower than the cost of equivalent Linux and open source software. Is this true?

"Wheeler: Not in the way Microsoft wishes. TCO is extremely sensitive to a specific circumstance, so a TCO for one situation doesn't usually apply to other cases. I'm sure that there are cases where Microsoft's approach has a lower TCO than alternatives, so in those specific cases it's true. However, there are also cases where open source software or Linux-based solutions have a lower TCO. You really have to consider all the costs for your specific situation, and your results may differ..."

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