Microsoft-Novell alliance gets customers' thumbs-up

Microsoft and Novell have published results from a jointly commissioned survey that asserts the two companies' high-profile agreement will drive customers away from joint rival Red Hat.

Communications company Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, which has been doing research for Microsoft for eight years, conducted 201 interviews with IT professionals to garner opinions on vendor partnerships and interoperability between Windows and Linux.

The interviews were conducted two weeks after Novell and Microsoft announced their legal and technical agreement. Two-thirds of respondents were aware of the deal.

The survey found more than 90 per cent of respondents favour efforts to improve interoperability between products from "platform providers".

In addition, the survey indicated Microsoft's intention to make Novell a preferred Linux provider should work.

Eighty per cent agreed with the statement: "My organisation would consider doing more business with Linux distributors if they had a technical alliance with Microsoft."

The survey also queried customers on the question of intellectual property rights and potential legal liabilities.

It found 71 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement: "I am more likely to deploy a Linux that comes with intellectual property rights, which reduces my company's exposure to risk."

Martin LaMonica writes for CNET News.com