| Yankee Group rebuts Linux-Watch column |
Mar. 12, 2007
The Yankee Group send us a rebuttal to a recent column by Steven J. Vaughan Nichols entitled, "Weather alert: new Microsoft FUD storm expected." Research fellow Laura Didio's response appears below, in an effort to allow our readers to hear both sides of the story and form their own judgments.
Yankee Group's response to Feb. 6th Linux Watch column
Hello, Steven:
I was quite dismayed to read your recent February 6, 2007 column/blog on my upcoming Yankee Group survey and report. While you are certainly free to express your opinions, it's disturbing to see that your column/blog contains numerous factual inaccuracies that impugn the reputation of Yankee Group, Sunbelt Software and myself.
I feel that this is unacceptable.
Below, I have made a detailed list of the specific factual errors.
1. Linux Watch statement: This time around, Sunbelt Software is working with the Yankee Group, a research company with a poor reputation in Linux circles, to produce its "yearly major survey comparing Windows to Linux." Here we go again.
What's wrong with that? I'll tell you what's wrong with it. Sunbelt is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. In other words, they're buddies with Microsoft. If anyone does say much bad about Windows, how many people do you think will see those results? I suspect they'll end up going straight in the great bit-bucket in the sky.
Yankee Group Response: The latest Yankee Group survey is not a Linux vs. Windows TCO Comparison survey. Rather, the survey deals with server hardware and software operating system life cycles and deployment trends. It is true that Sunbelt is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. However, its reseller business is separate and distinct from the forums and list serves. Attendees on the forum are free to express their opinions -- pro and con -- regarding Microsoft, its products as well as other vendors and their products. And they do so with great abandon. Microsoft's customers are also Microsoft's most vocal and vociferous critics. As for your comment: "If anyone does say much bad about Windows, how many people do you think will see those results? I suspect they'll end up going straight in the great bit bucket in the sky..." This is absolutely untrue! In fact, if you read the Yankee Group reports prior that compare Linux, Windows and Unix you would know that Yankee Group prints -- unedited -- comments that are critical of Microsoft and its products. I also am scrupulous about reporting the positive results, comments and feedback on Linux. So not only are your "suspicions" unfounded but they are directly contradicted by multiple pieces of prior Yankee Group research notes and reports.
2. Linux Watch Statement: "...Next, they're only looking for people to survey who read the Sunbelt publication, WServerNews. This is a publication that claims to be "the world's largest newsletter focused on system admin issues for Windows NT4/2000/2003." Funny, I don't see the word "Linux" in there. Do you?"
Yankee Group Response: Again, this is absolutely untrue. In fact, while Yankee Group does sometimes avail itself of self-selected user responses from Sunbelt's list serve, this relationship is not exclusive. Yankee Group also employs the services of other survey houses to conduct primary independent research. The latest survey and others also draws from other sources, including other list serves and Yankee Group's own client base for responses. In addition, Yankee has in the past and will continue to use other sources for our surveys besides Sunbelt.
3. Linux Watch Statement: "What do you think? Do you think people who read a publication devoted to Windows servers are going to have anything nice to say about Linux? If you do, I have a wonderful old bridge, lightly-used, in Brooklyn, that I'll be willing to sell you at a remarkably good price."
Yankee Group Response: This is false! This upcoming report, had you seen it firsthand states a) 60% of all Windows customers also use Linux; b) Many of these same Windows users are big fans of Linux and they do not hesitate to say so; c) Yankee Group scrupulously reports the Pros and Cons of users' experience with Windows, Linux, Unix, open source and Macintosh products, in an unbiased, objective manner and d) Microsoft users are also Microsoft’s most frequent and vociferous critics.
4. Linux Watch Statement: "Now, if Microsoft was just doing this "research" for its own benefit I wouldn't have any problem with that. After-all, over at DesktopLinux.com, we do surveys, like our 2006 state of the Linux desktop. The difference is, we don't pretend that the opinion of a group of largely Linux desktop users says a whole lot about the entire desktop universe."
Yankee Group Response: This survey and subsequent report is an independent, non-sponsored survey. Microsoft has had no input and has had nothing to do with the survey, my first person customer interviews or the subsequent report that Yankee Group has produced. The survey and report contains responses that represent a wide variety and cross section of corporate customers across all vertical and horizontal markets, who use Windows, Linux, open source, Unix and Macintosh systems. None of Yankee Group's comparative operating system surveys is based solely on feedback and information derived from a single source (Windows users).
5. Linux Watch Statement: "The Yankee Group, however, proclaimed a couple of years ago that its independent study showed that Windows TCO (total cost of ownership) was better than Linux's TCO. It was only later found out by Pamela Jones of Groklaw that Sunbelt was behind this "independent" study."
Yankee Group Response: This statement is false and misleading because it implies that Yankee Group was hiding something and that Ms. Jones uncovered it! Is part of its due diligence when producing written Research Reports Yankee Group always includes a section in the body of the research, called "Research Methodology" that specifically outlines the various mechanisms used to obtain our data. To date, Yankee Group has produced two (2) Linux, Windows and Unix TCO studies in 2004 and 2005. Yankee and Sunbelt partnered for the 2004 survey; another independent survey firm partnered with Yankee Group to produce the more extensive 2005 TCO Comparison Report. We offered full disclosure of those facts; ergo there was nothing for Ms. Jones to "find out" or "reveal." In any event neither of the surveys or Reports that you allude to ever made a blanket statement that "Windows TCO was better than Linux' TCO." Yankee Group carefully detailed the specific instances and scenarios in which Windows represented a more economical choice for customers as well as those customer scenarios in which Linux was the more efficient, economical choice. And Yankee Group used specific case study examples to elucidate each of these scenarios, describing individual customer implementations as well as how much they saved using Windows, Linux or Unix (depending on the case study example). As for your assertion that "..It was only later found out by Pamela Jones that Sunbelt was behind this independent study," this too, is fallacious. Stating that Pamela Jones "found out" implies that Yankee was hiding information. Not so. To reiterate, anytime Sunbelt or any other independent survey house is involved, we disclose that information in the body of the Research Report, in our press releases and in conversations with the press. Yankee Group is justifiably proud of its reputation for objective, accurate research and analysis. We stand by our Research.
5. Linux Watch Statement: "After all, as Mary Jo Foley points out in her All About Microsoft blog, recent court documents in the Iowa consumer antitrust case against Microsoft, Comes v. Microsoft Corp., show that as recently as 2002, Microsoft tried to force IDC analysts into tweaking their December 2002 study to put Microsoft in a better light. IDC wouldn't go along. You know, Microsoft, I have an idea. If Windows and Vista and all that are really better than Linux and the alternatives, why keep playing games with the facts? Why bribe bloggers? Why pay people to set the record straight? Why promote biased surveys?"
Yankee Group Response: Microsoft may or may not have attempted to force IDC analysts into tweaking its December 2002 study. Since neither of us work for IDC, we cannot accurately comment. Rest assured however that Microsoft has never made any attempt -- subtle or blatant -- to influence Yankee Group's written research or analysis. For the record, any attempt by Microsoft or any vendor to influence Yankee Group's coverage of a company, product or event would be soundly rebuffed.
If you have any further questions or require additional clarification on any of the aforementioned points, either myself or Christina Oh in Yankee Group's marketing department will be glad to furnish you with copies of the prior Reports that you misquoted.
Sincerely,
Laura DiDio
 Laura DiDio is a research fellow in Yankee Group’s Enabling Technologies Enterprise group with an expertise in software economics and infrastructure. DiDio focuses on desktop and server operating systems, with a particular emphasis on Microsoft Windows desktop and server operating systems, Active Directory, Linux, UNIX, the Office desktop and server application productivity suites as well as third party enterprise applications.
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