"Microsoft did sponsor the benchmark testing and the NT server was better tuned than the Linux one. Having said that, I must say that I still trust the Windows NT server would have outperformed the Linux one."

--Windows platform manager, Microsoft South-Africa
Reference: Outrage at Microsoft’s independent, yet sponsored NT 4.0/Linux research

Earlier today we mentioned some of the latest FUD from Gartner, which was directed at the GNU/Linux server/desktop in particular. Always remember the Gartner-Microsoft connection and also remember how Microsoft views analysts.

A couple of hours ago we cited this item, which contains a lot of information about Gartner, with which you are probably familiar if you have read this site for a while. One of our readers wrote in to request "a knock against Gartner Group for "unintentionally" setting desktop infrastructure pricing." Watch the supporting statement from the article.

Suffolk told Gartner, "I think we have fundamentally failed on a worldwide basis as an IT industry to understand the cost of what we do. And I roundly blame Gartner for this, because you guys are the ones who come up with TCO [total cost of ownership] benchmarking. It has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"So, I go out and I pick boring desktop infrastructure. What price do you think the suppliers broadly pitch? You will not be shocked to know that it is somewhere around the Gartner TCO benchmark."

"Give 'em a 1," he said, referring to this index. It is now done (down from the rather arbitrary level of 2).

As we said before, Microsoft hopes to 'reform' open source, so it is more afraid of Linux and the GPL, which bear all the roots of the Free software movement, spirit and... well, licence of course. It all boils down to the licences, no matter how much we might hate lawyers or misunderstand law. IANAL.

Always remember that Microsoft's #1 priority is money. Money, money, money. It's a mindset. It's hard to cure, if not altogether impossible. In his recent CNET interview, Steve Ballmer called Linux his number 1 competitor. Also see Microsoft's latest SEC filing about Linux. Mind the part about IPR 'education' as a 'battle plan'.

Remember that a lot is at stake and it boils down to one thing: perception.

This weekend we shall briefly mention an articles about a CIO from Australia, who had to face a little conflict with Novell over misconceptions. Jeff Waugh gave him a hard time as well, but he slammed vocal critics.

Gartner is among those used to deceive a lot on TCO, so we must remember it and keep track of the FUD. It's just what these folks are paid to do and IDC is even worse than Gartner. Remind yourself again of how Microsoft views analysts, based on its own written words. Never forget this. ⬆