The Independent: Linux Throws Down the Gauntlet to Microsoft and Opens Up Server Market

“But, despite the widely-held belief that Microsoft will, as a
consequence, be the obvious loser in the computer server market, it
is still far from clear how badly the US software giant will be
hit.

“‘There are a lot of arguments going on about who’s replacing
who and what’s replacing what,’ said Tom Meyer of the research
house IDC, adding it is not necessarily a given that Microsoft will
come off worst.

“‘I think a lot of people focus on Linux versus Windows and it
will be a battle but it’s not just between those two,’ he said,
pointing to the other main operating system Unix. Companies that
stand to get hurt there include Sun Microsystems with its Solaris
system.

“What is clear, however, is that Linux is gaining ground fast.
It has grabbed around a 13.7 per cent share of the $50.9bn
(£30.5bn) server market so far, according to IDC, which is
forecasting it to hit around 25 per cent in 2006…”

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