AS READERS MIGHT remember, the Yankee Group constantly slammed Microsoft's competition in virtualisation [1, 2] and was at one point pressured to remove false advertising analysis it produced, which nonetheless remained on Microsoft's own Web site. To those who are not familiar with the Yankee Group, the words from their founder ought to speak volumes. Last year, in an article he published, this man stated: "Open source is not a movement; it's a religion. It is a set of principles and practices that let everyone share non-existent or semi-existent intellectual property. Remember the Communist Manifesto: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." It is this generation's Woodstock."

“This group has a long history of slamming Free software, often at the behest (with funding) of Microsoft.”This group has a long history of slamming Free software, often at the behest (with funding) of Microsoft. One of its analysts, Laura DiDio, also played up -- very repeatedly in fact -- SCO's lawsuit against Linux-using companies. She elevated the perceived risk, along with people like Rob Enderle, somewhat of an acquaintant of Steve Ballmer (he also slammed PJ and Groklaw) whose opinions are virtually up for negotiation with Microsoft. Daring Fireball, the highly-respected Web site of John Gruber, saw this almost exactly 5 years ago when he published the post "Rob Enderle: Putting the ‘Anal’ in ‘Analyst’." Enderle attacked Linux once again yesterday (slamming Android without substance), but we won't link to it. The comments already slam the authorship and the message.

Getting back to Yankee, knowing all that we know about the Yankee Group's agenda in virtualisation and its approach towards Free software (namely bad attitude), why oh why does Dana Blankenhorn accept and publish the stuff they sent to him for consideration in a "Linux an Open Source" blog? He should be more careful.

The Yankee Group sent over an e-mail recently predicting this will take the form of desktop virtualization.

Like several other groups that lend their pen (or mouth-for-rent) to companies, they really need to be ignored. Meanwhile, The Gartner Group, whose opinions are up for sale, is quoted extensively in this new article about Citrix and virtualisation. Citrix in virtualisation acts a Microsoft Windows enabler.

What is going on and why is the press so easily blinded by folks who are merely salespeople in suits? ⬆

“Analysts sell out - that’s their business model… But they are very concerned that they never look like they are selling out, so that makes them very prickly to work with.”

--Microsoft, internal document [PDF]