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Subject: Microsoft is taking its biggest step beyond the Windows operating system since chief executive Satya Nadella started a rethink of its core software strategy two years ago
Excerpt: English text from the archived bilingual edition · Chinese edition
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Microsoft is taking its biggest step beyond the Windows operating system since chief executive Satya Nadella started a rethink of its core software strategy two years ago
The company announced on Monday that it would put one of its main products on Linux for the first time, selling a version of its database software to run on the open source operating system
Until now it has only sold the product, called SQL Server, to run on Windows, reflecting the tight integration Microsoft has traditionally used to protect revenues from its own operating system
Mr Nadella said the change in strategy would give Microsoft a shot at the much bigger part of the database market that does not run on Windows, and denied that it would lead to a “cannibalisation” of Microsoft’s operating system as customers opted for Linux instead
“I want us to be aggressive in going after all opportunities,” he said. Asked if this was a direct attack on Oracle, the leading database software company, he added: “They are the incumbents, absolutely.” The new software is not scheduled for release until mid-2017
Microsoft overtook IBM to move into second place in the $32bn a year database market between 2011-14, according to Gartner, the research group, although its 21 per cent market share was still only half that of Oracle
Scott Guthrie, the executive in charge of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise group, indicated that it would price the software in line with what it charges on Windows, a level he said would be “disruptive” to other database companies
Microsoft quotes a price of $13,000 for running its database software on the most basic servers, compared to a list price of more than $100,000 for a similar Oracle licence once various add-on features are included, according to Donald Feinberg, a Gartner analyst. Oracle discounts often mean its customers pay significantly less than the list price, though Microsoft’s software was still likely to be much cheaper, he added
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