微軟進軍非Windows作業系統領域
Microsoft is taking its biggest step beyond the Windows operating system since chief executive Satya Nadella started a rethink of its core software strategy two years ago.
微軟(Microsoft)正在非Windows作業系統領域展開大的動作，這是自該公司執行長薩蒂亞•納德拉（Satya Nadella，上圖）兩年前開始反思其核心軟體戰略以來，它在這一領域採取的最重大舉措。
The company announced on Monday that it would put one of its main products on Linux for the first time, selling a version of its database software to run on the open source operating system.
週一微軟宣佈，將把自己的一款主要產品首次放置到開源作業系統Linux上，也就是說，將銷售其資料庫軟體的Linux版。
Until now it has only sold the product, called SQL Server, to run on Windows, reflecting the tight integration Microsoft has traditionally used to protect revenues from its own operating system.
到目前為止，微軟銷售的這款名為SQL Server的產品還只執行在Windows系統上，反映出該公司一直在運用緊密整合來保護來自其自身作業系統的營收。
Mr Nadella said the change in strategy would give Microsoft a shot at the much bigger part of the database market that does not run on Windows, and denied that it would lead to a “cannibalisation” of Microsoft’s operating system as customers opted for Linux instead.
納德拉表示，這一戰略調整將令微軟能夠進軍資料庫市場的一塊大得多的領域，即非Windows系統資料庫領域。此外，他還否認這麼做會導致客戶選擇Linux、進而蠶食微軟作業系統的市場份額。
“I want us to be aggressive in going after all opportunities,” he said. Asked if this was a direct attack on Oracle, the leading database software company, he added: “They are the incumbents, absolutely.” The new software is not scheduled for release until mid-2017.
他說：“我希望我們積極地追逐所有機遇。”在被問到此舉是否是對頭號資料庫軟體公司甲骨文(Oracle)發動的直接攻擊時，他補充說：“他們無疑是現在的老大。”微軟的這款新軟體要到2017年年中以後才會釋出。
Microsoft overtook IBM to move into second place in the $32bn a year database market between 2011-14, according to Gartner, the research group, although its 21 per cent market share was still only half that of Oracle.
根據研究集團高德納(Gartner)的資料，2011年到2014年間，微軟超越了IBM，在年價值320億美元的資料庫市場佔據了第二把交椅，但它的市場份額只有21%，是甲骨文的一半。
Scott Guthrie, the executive in charge of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise group, indicated that it would price the software in line with what it charges on Windows, a level he said would be “disruptive” to other database companies.
微軟負責雲端計算和企業業務的高管斯科特•格思裡(Scott Guthrie)指出，微軟對這款軟體的定價將與Windows版一致。他表示，這一定價對其他資料庫公司來說將是“顛覆性的”。
Microsoft quotes a price of $13,000 for running its database software on the most basic servers, compared to a list price of more than $100,000 for a similar Oracle licence once various add-on features are included, according to Donald Feinberg, a Gartner analyst. Oracle discounts often mean its customers pay significantly less than the list price, though Microsoft’s software was still likely to be much cheaper, he added.
根據高德納分析師唐納德•範伯格(Donald Feinberg)的說法，微軟對其執行在最基本伺服器上的資料庫軟體的報價是1.3萬美元，而與之類似的Oracle許可證的目錄價格超過10萬美元（含各種附加功能）。他補充說，Oracle提供的折扣往往意味著客戶付的錢要顯著低於目錄價格，但微軟的新軟體仍有可能會便宜得多。
