A survey of technology decision-makers shows very strong customer support for the recent agreement between Microsoft Corp. and Novell Inc. designed to improve interoperability between Windows Server� and SUSE Linux Enterprise. Nearly all respondents agree with improving interoperability, having products that work well together, and having tools that make it easier to manage mixed Windows� and Linux environments. The survey, jointly commissioned by Novell and Microsoft, was conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates Inc., a respected independent market research firm.

�Microsoft and Novell entered into this agreement to make it easier for customers to deploy Windows Server and Linux together,� said Susan Heystee, vice president of Global Strategic Alliances at Novell. �The results of this independent research show the majority of approval numbers over 80 and 90 percent. These high numbers don�t surprise me because they match the very positive reception that we�ve gotten from customers. This survey supports our belief when we entered the agreement with Microsoft: Collaboration on behalf of the customer is a winning proposition for all parties involved.�

�This survey confirms for us what we�ve been hearing from customers all along. They want technology vendors to work together to promote interoperability and to stand behind the products they sell and service,� said Susan Hauser, general manager of customer advocacy at Microsoft. �Customers who have mixed-source environments want their platform providers to work better together to tackle the complexity and cost of integration. Through our work with Novell, we�re doing just that.�

Penn, Schoen & Berland conducted 201 interviews Nov. 17�20 with IT executives, managers or staff whose primary job is in a formalized IT department, or who perform IT functions in a non-IT department but who have significant technology purchasing authority. Organizations had to have at least 500 PCs to participate in the survey. The survey did not intentionally target, but did break out, results for respondents whose companies deploy both Microsoft� Windows and SUSE Linux from Novell, as well as Red Hat Linux. Among the key findings were these: