[CS-FSLUG] Microsoft on Linux offensive

["國產 Wei-Yee Chan (Made in Chinar)"]

http://www.electronicsweekly.co.uk/articles/article.asp?liArticleID=39247&liArticleTypeID=1&liCategoryID=1&liChannelID=106&liFlavourID=1&sSearch=&nPage=1


Microsoft on Linux offensive
by Antony Savvas at Computer Weekly
Friday 8 April 2005

Microsoft has gone on the offensive against Linux by announcing the
results of tests it commissioned on the reliability of Windows and Linux.

The software giant commissioned tests from VeriTest, the independent
testing division of Lionbridge Technologies, and it says the results
show that Windows Server 2003 was more reliable than Red Hat Enterprise
Linux AS 3.0 in a simulated "real-world usage scenario".

Microsoft is also promoting user case studies of large companies who
have migrated to Windows from Linux-based systems, such as electric
guitar manufacturer Fender Musical Instruments.

Martin Taylor, Microsoft general manager of the company’s platform
strategy group, said: "This study shows that when compared to Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 3.0, Windows Server 2003 is easier to maintain and [is]
predictable, and allows end users to access the resources they need in a
timely manner."

VeriTest assigned to IT administrators a series of tasks involving
upgrading and reconfiguring systems, with the goal of improving the
reliability of the technology environment.

Microsoft said the tests showed that Windows provided a more reliable
end-user service, and that Windows Server 2003 prevented four-times as
many events that would have resulted in end-user service loss.

Red Hat Linux end users experienced an average of 15 per cent more
service loss time, and Windows Server 2003 was more effective at
troubleshooting, said Microsoft.

Katrina Teague, vice-president of marketing and solutions at VeriTest
said: "We simulated a medium-sized business environment with two
independent teams of IT professionals who passed a thorough screening
process prior to the study, so the results of this study are consistent
with the experience of many customers in the real world."

A recent survey of more than 500 companies by analyst group Yankee found
that respondents said that Windows servers recover 30 per cent faster
from security attacks than Linux servers.

But the Yankee respondents also indicated that the hourly cost of
Windows downtime was three to four-times higher than that of Linux
server downtime. This was mainly because there is currently more crucial
corporate data stored on Windows servers, said Yankee.