Computerworld: Q&A: Microsoft’s Linux Strategist Martin Taylor, Part 2

“For what server workloads have you noted the most
activity around Linux? The biggest uptake on Linux has
been in the Web server workload. We also have seen on the
[application platform] workload the Unix scenario. Meta [Group]
recently did a survey of 24 IT professionals and business
decision-makers who moved from SAP or PeopleSoft on Unix to
Windows. They found about [a] 50% in aggregate decrease in number
of servers needed, 50% savings in administrative cost and cost of
ownership, and about 25% increase in their abilities–reliability,
scalability, availability. One of the reasons we asked Meta to go
talk [to users] before we go spin up a lot of activities in the
coming year [is] I need something to really help me understand…
‘What’s our value prop there? Do people really see benefit? How do
we win over these Unix people that don’t want to do Windows? Are
there real hard-core cost savings…?'”

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