Cost of acquisition & support of Linux & Window servers
Microsoft commissioned Ideas International (IDEAS) to produce a white paper comparing the costs of acquisition and support of Microsoft Window Server 2003 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 in a large server population setting.
Based on their research, Ideas International found that across several scenarios Microsoft’s Windows Server 2003 license and support costs are competitive, and in some cases significantly lower than the licence and support costs of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
In addition to their primary findings, Ideas International also identified the following:
Microsoft and Red Hat’s different approaches to software licensing and support, and the fact that real-world software purchasing decisions tend to involve longer term commitments, means that the most realistic pricing comparisons should be based on a period of ownership (three to six years), rather than on just the upfront costs.
Differences in the licensing and support costs of the OS were relatively small when considered in the context of the acquisition costs of hardware and software costs.
CHART 1 - Cumulative support costs of Windows servers vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers
Chart 1 compares the cumulative operating system licence and support charges an enterprise would accrue from running Microsoft Window Server 2003 versus those it would accrue from running Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The comparison is based on an ownership period of several years, and assumes support is provided by Microsoft or Red Hat, respectively.
In this example, which is based on Microsoft’s volume pricing discount, distributed payments option, and Software Assurance subscription for free upgrades – Microsoft’s pricing tracks to Red Hat’s in the first three years of ownership, but is substantially lower than Red Hat’s in subsequent years.
For a comparision of Red Hat Linux and Window Servers click on the link or request more information online.
