Michael Dell Says Linux Server Sales Are Increasing

Michael Dell, speaking at a Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, said that his company is seeing Linux update on the server end growing faster than Microsoft Windows. Despite Microsoft's recent claims about Linux's software patent infringements the Linux-based hardware sales continue to grow.

At the symposium, Dell's CEO, Michael Dell, said: "On the server side Linux continues to grow nicely, a bit faster than Windows. We're seeing a move to Linux in critical applications, and Linux migration has not slowed down."

In May, this year, Microsoft started claiming that free and open source software violated more than 230 of its patents but did not give more detailed information to sustain its statement.

Mark Jarvis, Dell's chief marketing officer, said that, although Dell had a close relationship with Microsoft in the past, the latter didn't provide any more information related to the patent infringement, despite Dell supporting Linux on its server machines and recently on its desktops and laptops.

Jarvis commented on this issue: "When we announced the Linux notebook, we didn't get a call from Microsoft - whatever rumblings have been heard, they haven't been heard in Austin, Texas." He also added that Dell did not expect to sell in large numbers its Linux PCs, but he is very happy about the server range where an increasing growth is taking place.

It seems that Microsoft considers Linux distributions a threat, by launching campaigns that are trying to create a bad image of Linux. After Microsoft stopped the controversial "Get the Facts" campaign (dubbed by the Linux community as "Get the FUD"-fear, uncertainty and doubt), a new one was started, bearing the name "Compare". The new campaign is still trying to convince Linux users to change their mind and look at Microsoft's Windows, applications and server products.