Here is something Steve Balmer can do a jig and sweat to :P
Is Linux ready for the desktop? Microsoft seems to think so, if a company channel partner email leaked to The Register is anything to go by. The email, which we believe to be genuine, is labelled for the attention of Microsoft Certified Partners, and takes the form of a call to action aimed at intercepting major customers "seriously evaluating, piloting or deploying production Linux desktops."
The email apparently came from the recipient's usual Microsoft Channel Partner Manager, and was addressed to the company's usual contact, so it seems unlikely to be a fake. Nor, although some of the language is robust, does it go wildly over the top in the way fakes so frequently do.
The Microsoft manager is asking for information on customers planning to deploy Linux desktops, and requesting that the partner "complete the attached template [which we do not have, unfortunately] and send it to me." The manager is particularly interested in identifying vipers in the bosom of the Beast: "If you are the one promoting Linux to your customer, we should talk. I really want to understand why this is being pushed as opposed to Microsoft. If a customer is asking you, I understand the need to get the customer what they request [that's nice, if somewhat unconvincing], however if you are leading with it, I really want your honest feedback."
News source: The Reg
