Microsoft Corp. on Monday launched a new advertising campaign, referred to as "Get the Facts," which is designed to give customers information about the advantages of using its Windows operating system versus Linux, its open-source competitor. A Microsoft spokeswoman told eWEEK on Monday that this campaign that will target leading IT publications and run for six months. She declined to say what the company expected to spend on the campaign.
This latest move is yet another way the Redmond, Wash. software firm is trying to counter the effects of the Linux operating system, and is in keeping with the strategy embraced by Martin Taylor, who took over the role of Microsoft open-source and Linux strategist last July. When he was appointed to the position, Taylor said he would make it his personal mission to publicize more studies that showed that Microsoft software beat the return-on-investment pants off the open-source alternatives. The Microsoft spokeswoman said its customers had told the firm they wanted research and information to help make value-based IT decisions. "Over the past year, software cost and value has been a common issue raised by IT customers. "The "Get the Facts" advertising campaign aims to bring some of this information to companies who are making decisions about their IT solutions," she said.