“It’s the business model around free software that concerns us,
where people get sucked in to not paying for software,” Doug
Miller, group product manager for the Windows Server Group, told
eWEEK’s Peter Galli. “This will be a disservice for them, as they
need established, well-funded companies to offer innovation.”
“Let’s break this down. First, I won’t belabor the fact that it
was precisely “free software” that got Microsoft in trouble with
the DOJ in the first place. Second, the message implies that Linux
is free. The source code is free, but any Linux platform that
provides value to a corporate user is not and never will be.
Distributions and services are what are guiding Linux into the
enterprise.”
“Which leads us to the real threat. Microsoft indeed doesn’t
have to worry about Linux on the desktop-that’s probably never
going to happen. But Linux is taking Microsoft’s business in the
server and embedded space.”