There was scepticism last year when arch-rivals
Microsoft and Novell signed an alliance which would see Microsoft
sell and support Linux systems.
Some argued that it was a ploy by Microsoft to convert Linux
users to Windows. Now two of the world's largest organisations -
Wal-Mart and HSBC - have signed up to Microsoft's Linux.
The reasons are clear: Windows is running in the datacentre, so
is Linux. It is a multi-platform world. Neither Microsoft nor the
Linux community can change that.
So rather than competing, isn't better if they work together?
Matthew O'Neill, group head of distributed systems at HSBC, thinks
so. He hopes the alliance will help reduce the complexity of the
bank's Linux environment.
In his blog, Jeff Jaffe, chief technology officer at
Novell, stresses the importance of making virtualisation work
across Windows and Linux. This is what his customers are asking
for.
The alliance will mean compatibility between Longhorn, the next
release of the Windows Server operating system, and SuSE Linux
Enterprise Server 10.
Refreshingly, Jaffe admits, "Microsoft Office is a reality, both
within every company and across companies. The need to exchange
documents is paramount."
Novell will face criticism this week at its annual
Brainshare conference, but at least it has
recognised that Linux must coexist in a Windows world.
However, Microsoft's
Get The Facts site is less magnanimous. A case
study from Continental AG says, "Windows Server provides a reliable
environment with centralised management. Duplicating this level of
service in a Linux-based environment would have been very
difficult." One wonders what really is going on in Seattle.
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