Como hablarle a Microsoft acerca de Linux

How to talk to Microsoft about Linux

Tell us your opinion
Visiting one of Microsoft's open-source seminars during the
next few weeks? Here's a print-out-and-keep guide to
questions you might care to ask...

Microsoft has opened up a new front against Linux with a
series of events around Britain in which UK companies are
invited to take part in what the company calls 'an open and
honest technology discussion' about open-source software.

ZDNet UK met with senior Microsoft executives at the first
of the '20:20 Seminar Series' and would encourage IT
managers and directors to get along to one of the remaining
three events (which are being held in Edinburgh, Manchester
and Newport - full details below).

To encourage an open and honest debate, we've compiled a
list of questions that emerged from the first meeting. If
you can't make it to one of the 20:20 events, perhaps you
could put them to the next Microsoft salesman you speak to.

1: Total cost of ownership
Microsoft is vulnerable to the claim that deploying Linux
must be cheaper than Windows because it charges a licence
fee for Windows while open-source software is, well, free.
It now points to research conducted by IDC in 2002 that
found that systems running on open-source software can cost
more than Windows in terms of service and management costs
over the lifetime of their deployment. You might ask:

When Microsoft says that choosing open-source software is
"by no means a certain way of lowering whole lifetime
costs", does that claim include projections for the damage
that will be caused by vulnerabilities and security holes
in Windows that haven't yet been discovered?

2: Support and maintenance
Microsoft is also keen to point out that there are more
than 450,000 Microsoft Certified Software Engineers
worldwide, which it says means a better support network
than is possible with Linux. If you think there's a lack of
support in the open-source community, you might ask:

Can Microsoft cite an example of a Linux project that was
delayed because of a shortage of staff?

3: Interoperability
Microsoft says that Windows is a great choice for desktops
because it supports an 'ecosystem' of desktop applications
such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and fits well with
Microsoft's server software. However, many open-source
applications also work perfectly well as replacements to
Microsoft's own apps. Some experts say that deploying these
programs can be a good first step in a long-term migration
to Linux. You might ask:

Why shouldn't I replace Microsoft Office with Open Office,
or Internet Explorer with Mozilla? Won't this work as an
excellent first step towards full-scale open source
deployment, given Microsoft's commitment to openness and
interoperability?

4: Deal cost
Journalists who attended last week's 20:20 Seminar Series
Event were presented with a long list of 'customer success
stories' -- examples of companies who have recently chosen
to deploy Microsoft software.

One of these was the London Borough of Newham, which has
upgraded its desktop and server infrastructure. After a
long consultation process, Newham eventually decided that
Microsoft offered better value than open source.

Microsoft is trumpeting this win, claiming that Newham may
make double the productivity savings than if it had chosen
Linux instead.

nformed sources have alleged that Microsoft may have
offered the Borough an uncharacteristically generous
package, including a substantial amount of free
consultancy, to sweeten the deal. There's even a theory
that the real lesson is that if you can make Microsoft
believe that you're genuinely considering Linux, you'll get
a much better deal. One Microsoft executive even admitted
to us last week that more companies are using this tactic
You might ask:

If I come to Microsoft and say that I'm going to abandon
Windows, what kind of incentives will you be able to offer
me to make me stay? Is this why Microsoft is so reluctant
to discuss its pricing policies?

Click here to read more about this issue.

5. Security
Sasser, Wallon, Netsky, Bagel, MyDoom, Nachi: just some of
the security threats faced by users of Microsoft software
this year. Despite this avalanche of worms, viruses and
Trojans, Microsoft is keen to maintain that security is not
just a problem for Windows.

A recent report published by Forrester Research calculated
how quickly Microsoft issues patches after vulnerabilities
are found in its software, and compared this to the
performance of Linux vendors. Forrester found that
Microsoft was much quicker at releasing fixes than Red Hat,
Debian, SuSE and MandrakeSoft. Click here to read a .pdf of
the original Forrester research, and here to read the
response of the Linux vendors.

If Microsoft cites this as proof that Windows is a more
secure option, you might point out that 67 percent of
Microsoft's vulnerabilities were classified as
high-severity, compared to 56 percent for Red Hat. Or, you
might ask:

How many of the viruses that have hit the Internet this
year have taken advantage of vulnerabilities in Linux?

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39157635,00.htm