Clearance Sale on Windows Servers in Q1?

The May 27, 2008 IDC report on first-quarter 2008 worldwide server shipments make it look like a clearance sales was in progress on Windows-2003-based servers. Perhaps in anticipation of GA of Windows Server 2008 (happened halfway through the first quarter) or perhaps because of its GA, factory server shipments of Windows servers reached their second highest quarterly total according to IDC.

 

Only the third calendar quarter of 2007 showed higher results. (NOTE: I have tracked these numbers only for nine quarters but do not believe Windows had higher results prior to 2006).

UNIX/Linux-based server revenue slipped both in absolute terms and as a percent of the market (see illustration above). The combination of UNIX-heritage servers have been losing ground slowly to Windows-based hardware as have systems based on other operating software, such as IBM's (IBM) zSeries and other legacy products.

Comments

[Marcel McSweeney]

UNIX-heritage servers have been losing ground slowly to Windows-based hardware

[Dennis Byron]

Marcel, thanks for the comment.

In rereading my post 6 weeks later, I think I left something out between my mind and the keyboard. While it is certainly true that some Unix shops are switching to Windows, my research says the Unix guys are going to Linux. In fact, I look at Unix/Linux as one entity from a market dynamics point of view. I believe most Windows growth is coming from legacy systems.

Folks who used NetWare or VAX VMS for years are more comfortable with the more traditional ISV. Plus many of the VMS guys my age (see photo) believe Unix is "snake oil" for some reason or other :)

Dennis