Continental uses Outlook for messaging, SQL Server for database management and Windows XP on the desktop, and Aukett points out that while Microsoft products are expensive, his company doesn't have to spend money integrating software from a number of vendors.
For a small environment, we see Aukett's point, but remember, TCO (total cost of ownership) is a key factor to consider. The best-of-breed approach might cost more up front, but often you'll save money in the long run by avoiding out-of-control licensing schemes.
Mid-Atlantic Funding, a real estate company in Chantilly, Va., tries to have it both ways, says CTO Joel DeClue. "We standardize in areas that require a lot of support--infrastructure, desktop services," he says. "But in certain projects where we need maybe some new process to really kick things up a notch, I might go best of breed."
For Web applications, DeClue has fiddled with IBM's WebSphere and BEA's WebLogic, but he usually finds his way back to Microsoft's Internet Information Server. "From a business perspective, it's hard to get away from Microsoft," he says. "You can hire anyone to come in and work on Microsoft."
One lesson to take away from this is that IT decisions are made for many reasons; technology alone doesn't cut it. This is why we have expanded our focus to include the business requirements that drive the technology-selection process--to give you an understanding of the factors your business must bring to the table.
As for what you're running your business on, Microsoft's platforms are far and away the most popular among those surveyed. Respondents estimated that 63 percent of their server OSs are Windows, with the largest installed base among small businesses (one to 100 employees). Small businesses also have the highest installed base of Linux servers, not surprising when you consider the software's price (free) and the wide variety of hardware platforms it can run on.
Very large companies (10,000 or more employees) make up the largest percentage of installed Solaris and other Unix (not Linux) servers. Microsoft still has a large presence here, but this is where Scott McNealy and Larry Ellison like to earn their money. And with Sun recently announcing its new Linux server products, you can see where the company is looking to gain some server ground.
At Your Service
some readers said they would love to standardize on Web services but must cope with multiple Web platforms. The frantic Web development cycles of the '90s, coupled with a rapidly changing vendor marketplace, led to these shops making decisions about which Web development environment would best serve their needs on a project-by-project basis. Now it's difficult to turn back. In other cases, the diverse Web environments can be traced to company consolidation. "A lot of the reason we have so many different Web environments is acquisitions," says James Chance, infrastructure specialist at EDS, a systems integrator in Plano, Texas.
An interesting point we discovered when we asked about Web services was the general confusion in the market. Most respondents listed their current Web server platforms under the same technology heading as Web services. As much as Microsoft would like to think that people understand what .Net is all about, from where we stand there is plenty of room left for education and market differentiation. One thing that is clear is that Sun's iPlanet strategy and Web services architectures from IBM and HP are fighting an uphill battle in the name recognition war with Microsoft. Market hype from the vendors and technology press (yes, us too) makes defining Web services quite a challenge for technologists--never mind the level of understanding, or lack thereof, of business people.
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