When LinuxWorld Expo comes to town next week, Microsoft will be sticking to pitching its core developer products and messages.

But more and more, the company believes that the Windows vs.
open-source battle has moved beyond technology and into the realm of "business value," says Peter Houston, senior director of the Windows Server product management group.

Houston should know, as he has been charged for the past year with overseeing Microsoft's competitive analysis and strategy vis-a-vis Sun, IBM, Novell and the open-source vendors.

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