eWeek: Ballmer Still Tilting at Linux
“Microsoft Corp. has grown its market share in almost all of its
businesses over the past year, CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday,
while acknowledging that Linux had also grown its market share over
that period.“Speaking to financial analysts, media and investors at its
Financial Analyst Meeting here, Ballmer addressed the competitive
situation facing the company. ‘The issue is whether software is a
business of innovation and value or will it be commoditized?
Microsoft has a chance to create great value and is investing in
that,’ he said.“On the issue of the competitive threat from Linux in general
and IBM Corp. in particular, Ballmer said the issue was between
proprietary and open software. Big Blue now supports WebSphere on
Linux, he said, but questioned exactly what that meant…”
CRN: Gates Says SCO’s Case Against IBM Will Harm
Linux’s Commercial Prospects
[ Thanks to David for this link.
]
“Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates said
the intellectual property battle between SCO and IBM is hurting the
business of Linux.“Gates, speaking to financial analysts at the company’s Redmond,
Wash., headquarters Thursday, said it’s unclear if Microsoft is
benefiting from customer worries about the liability of deploying
Linux when the lawsuit between SCO and IBM hasn’t been
resolved.“However, Gates said the controversy has exposed a fundamental
weakness of Linux–that the General Public License (GPL) makes it
difficult for companies to engage in the cross-licensing deals that
have become standard in the software industry…”