Martin Taylor                  Stuart Cohen

Microsoft executive Martin Taylor has reportedly approached Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) CEO Stuart Coehn in an attempt to get the two organizations to work together to develop a detailed analysis of deploying Windows vs. Linux.

Microsoft has reportedly said it will pay half of the necessary funding for the research. 

Taylor said such analysis would be a boon to IT buyers when evaluating the merits of the two operating systems. "Customers have asked me for analysis on Linux. While we have done some research in our Linux and open source lab, there's not yet any substantial, fact-based research out there on Linux to help customers make value-based IT decisions.

"At the end of the day, I want customers to have the tools they need to evaluate technology on its merit versus on hype and emotion. It helps all of us build better products and respond to customer needs more effectively," he said in an official statement.

Microsoft has been beating the Windows vs. Linux with its “Get the Facts” campaign, and demonstrated a Linux lab at its developer conference in Orlando earlier in the year. Microsoft was also in evidence at the recent LinuxWorld Expo in San Francisco.

No word yet on whether the OSDL will respond.

• OSDL' s Cohen Rejects Microsoft Offer