"Microsoft said 12 countries, including Austria, Russia, China
and the UK, had entered into the new deals, with another 35 in
negotiation, since the program started in January.
"The stakes are high. An increasing number of corporations and
governments are turning to the so-called open-source Linux software
to run their desktop and networked computer systems, posing the
biggest threat yet to Microsoft's dominant market position in
computer operating systems.
"Microsoft has turned up the heat in its offensive against
vendors of Linux software and services--which range from software
titan International Business Machines to Red Hat Inc.--creating
special funds and discounts to win over budget-conscious potential
customers..."
