Windows 7 And Linux Servers: Happy Together?

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Let The VAR Guy set the scene: He’s at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference 2009 (WPC09) in New Orleans. There’s a reasonable amount of buzz for Windows 7. Faster load times. Better hardware support. Windows 7 certainly seems to be everything that Windows Vista should have been. Yes, Windows-centric businesses should eventually migrate to Windows 7.

But here’s a rather timely question: Where are the killer applications for Windows 7? Fact is, more and more of the world’s fastest-growing software companies focus on either (A) open source or (B) software as a service (SaaS). And many of those SaaS instances themselves run on Linux-centric servers. Meanwhile, Microsoft is promoting Corel as a major ISV supporting Windows 7. Hmm…

Open to Open Source?

So, the big question for Microsoft: Is it time to start marketing Windows 7’s easy connectivity to Linux servers? Plus, is it time to market Windows 7’s ability to run a range of open source applications?

Rewind to the 1990s, and Microsoft wisely evangelized Windows 95’s connectivity to Novell NetWare servers. Fast forward to the present, and Microsoft should do the same with Linux servers and open source.

Sound far-fetched? Microsoft already helps to certify open source applications on Windows Servers. The software giant should do the same on the desktop.

Where’s Novell?

To be sure, the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2009 is filled with thousands of loyal VARs and solutions providers. But it’s strange to see such a massive software gathering without any open source ISVs on hand.

Come to think of it: Novell — which works closely with Microsoft on Windows/Linux server integration and virtualization strategies — is not listed among the event sponsors. Our resident blogger needs to check in with Novell to see if the company is at the conference.

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