| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : FEBRUARY 22, 1999 ISSUE | ||||||||
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| SPECIAL REPORT
Competitors Cash in While Microsoft Struggles CHAIRMAN LOUIS V. GERSTNER IBM Operating systems are slow-growth businesses for IBM. But its middleware software is taking off. These programs run on IBM's mainframes, AS400 midrange machines, and Unix servers. Last year, middleware sales increases ranged from 70% to 90%. CEO SCOTT MCNEALY SUN SUN is taking some wind out of Microsoft's sails with Java, its software used to write applications that will run on any computer--not just Windows-based machines. And, thanks to the shift toward Internet computing, Sun's powerful servers are in great demand for Web sites and E-commerce. CHAIRMAN LEWIS E. PLATT HEWLETT-PACKARD After years of following Microsoft's siren song, HP is hearing a second tune. It has announced a server that just runs Oracle's database software--no Windows necessary--and will unveil at least three ''server appliances'' in coming months. These are low-cost machines devoted to a single task that oftentimes don't need Windows. LINUS TORVALDS LINUX The freeware operating system seems to be on a roll--and competing with Microsoft. International Data Corp. pegs Linux' market share at 17.2% last year, about half that for Microsoft's rival Windows NT server. Although it's still no barnburner in corporations, it's starting to win a few converts. Example: Southwestern Bell's network monitoring center in Kansas City. CEO LARRY ELLISON ORACLE His network-computer gambit was a flop. Now Chairman Larry Ellison is taking another stab at Microsoft with the database appliance. It's an Oracle database running on a PC server--no Windows required. This time, Oracle has a powerful partner: Hewlett-Packard. CHAIRMAN ERIC SCHMIDT NOVELL Once the leading maker of networking software for corporate servers, Novell's share of new sales was eclipsed by Windows NT in 1996. But Novell's NetWare software isn't going away. Novell enjoys key advantages today that Microsoft can't match, especially the ability to centrally manage all the resources of a corporate network. CHAIRMAN ERIC A. BENHAMOU 3COM/PALM COMPUTING The fastest-growing segment of the computer business today is tiny handheld devices. The undisputed king is the Palm from 3Com, which grabbed 40% of the market in 1998--compared with 25% for rivals using Microsoft's Windows CE operating system. To stay ahead, 3Com is adding to its product line and working with thousands of software developers. CHAIRMEN DELL AND PFEIFFER DELL & COMPAQ The giant PC makers remain committed to selling Windows-based machines, but both have broken rank of late to also offer servers running rival Linux. Moreover, Compaq is considering selling the Oracle database server appliance. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP |
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