Novell: Vista will drive users to Linux

by admin September 12, 2005 at 11:12 am

Jack Messman claims the tipping point for desktop Linux will come at the end of next year when companies are confronted by the cost of moving to Windows Vista

The high costs of migrating from Windows XP to Windows Vista will be the catalyst that encourages more companies to seriously consider moving to desktop Linux, according to open source and networking company Novell on Monday.

Speaking at Brainshare, the company’s annual European user conference in Barcelona, Novell chief executive Jack Messman claimed that the costs of moving desktops to the next version of Windows will be significantly higher than migrating to desktop Linux.

“The cost of migrating to Windows XP to Vista will be higher than the cost of migrating to Linux and that will push migrations to Linux,” Messman said.

Novell says that it is making real gains on the desktop in Europe currently and that many organisations are choosing its Linux Desktop product especially in vertical industries that require locked-down clients with limited functionality.

Full story: ZDNet UK