Oracle, Microsoft Linux Announcements Not Yet Being Felt

Overhype

from the validating-the-space dept

Last fall, the Linux market seemed headed for a major shakeup, as within a few days of each other, both Oracle and Microsoft announced plans to get into the space. Oracle’s strategy was to offer support for Red Hat Linux at a cut-rate price, while Microsoft partnered with Novell to co-market their offerings on a limited basis. While Red Hat investors fretted about the increased competition, the company put on a brave face, and brought out the old saw about increased competition being validation for the Linux market. Although it’s still early in the game, it seems that Red Hat may have been justified in its optimism. A couple of new Wall Street analyst reports have noted that neither Oracle nor Microsoft has had any significant impact on the market. Oracle has yet to announce any major customer wins, while Microsoft claims that one customer — Wal-Mart — has bought into the partnership. In both cases, the companies certainly have more business than they’re publicly announcing, but it does seem that the doomsday scenarios that many envisioned are not yet playing out.