Microsoft is taking on IBM with claims that IBM's WebSphere runs faster, better and more cheaply on Windows Server 2008. Software giant Microsoft is calling IBM out for a showdown to see which platform is optimal for WebSphere in a campaign that asks, Who Knew?
Microsoft has launched a new site that asks,
"Who
Knew?" as part of an aggressive campaign to paint Windows as the
optimal platform for enterprise middleware and applications, particularly IBM's
WebSphere application server.
The site,
www.websphereloveswindows.com, includes benchmark data to the
effect that WebSphere runs more efficiently and less expensively on Windows
Server 2008 and WinTel hardware than onf Unix and IBM
Power systems.
The "Who Knew?" site features case studies and white papers
describing the use of WebSphere on Windows Server in various situations. Key
findings of one highlighted benchmark showed:
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Customers can save up to 81% in total system costs by running
applications on Microsoft .NET and
Windows Server 2008 rather than IBM
WebSphere 7 on Power6/AIX.
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Customers who run their IBM
WebSphere 7 applications on Windows Server 2008 and Intel Xeon 5400
processor-based HP BladeSystem servers can save up to 66% in total system costs
when compared to running the same applications on IBM WebSphere 7 on an IBM Power6/AIX platform.
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In examining performance, the Microsoft .NET Framework on Windows Server 2008 handles
57% more load than WebSphere 7 running on IBM Power6/AIX, and IBM WebSphere 7 on Windows Server 2008 handles
37% more load than IBM WebSphere 7 running on Power6.
In a blog post,
Steven
Martin, Microsoft senior director of developer platform product management,
said:
About a year ago, I blogged about some
.NET/Windows Server benchmark testing results
produced by Greg Leake. After taking some well deserved time off, Greg went
back to the lab, expanded his testing and agreed to help get to the bottom of
the 'back office' debate. For the first time, the results include IBM hardware (POWER6) which allows us to
evaluate price/performance using typical customer configurations. In an era of
cost cutting and the need to squeeze as much optimization out of systems as
possible, we think customers will find this information very interesting.
Let's start with costs... Greg's
findings demonstrate that customers save up to 81% in total system costs by
running applications on Microsoft .NET and
Windows Server 2008 vs. IBM
WebSphere 7 on POWER6/AIX. The study also showed that customers who run their IBM WebSphere 7 applications on Windows Server
2008 and Hewlett Packard/Intel 64-bit blade servers can save up to 66% in total
system costs when compared to running the same applications on IBM WebSphere 7 on an IBM Power6/AIX platform. These results
illuminate significant savings for businesses of all sizes, and particularly
speak to the value of the Windows Server platform. Our hope is that people are
able to make use of these findings to get more for their money, either by
making new investments or by maximizing assets they are already using. Who knew
WebSphere and Windows Server were such a match?
The new focus on
IBM and WebSphere comes
on the heels of equally if not more aggressive tactics Microsoft has leveled
against Apple with its
"I'm
a PC" campaign and its Apple Tax campaign. The WebSphere focus
represents a new enterprise installment of the company's onslaught against its
competition.
"I'm amazed with the price point IBM
commands for both software and hardware given these results. It's time for them
to wake up and smell the economy," Martin told eWEEK.
In an
InternetNews
report, an IBM spokesperson said the
company is "amused" by Microsoft's claims.
In response to that statement, Microsoft's Martin followed up with another
blog post issuing
a
challenge to IBM.
Martin said, "I know you are just as interested in saving customers
money and improving performance as we are, which is why our recent tests caught
your eye. To demonstrate my confidence in the numbers we have produced, I'd
like to propose having a third party rerun the benchmark tests and publish the
results. To make it easy, I'll put my money where my mouth is and fund it. Are
you in?"
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