Windows equals Unix in terms of server sales

The worldwide computer server market grew 5.3% to $12.1 billion in the first quarter, with revenue for servers running the Microsoft Corp Windows operating system equalling that of Unix servers for the first time, market research firm IDC (idc.com) said recently.

Revenue for Windows servers grew 12.3% to $4.2 billion in the quarter while unit shipments grew 10.7%. Unix servers saw 2.8% revenue growth to $4.2 billion while unit shipments increased 5%.

"The equal level of spending in both segments this quarter showed that Windows servers are gaining traction in the enterprise server space with a combination of deeper investment and richer configurations," said Jean Bozman, vice president of Enterprise Computing.

IDC said that overall server revenue grew for the eighth consecutive quarter as customers invest further in new infrastructure.

But the rate of growth has slowed, with unit shipment growth of 13.5% at its lowest point in two years due to moderating growth in the volume server segment and tougher annual comparisons.