Is Microsoft relevant in High-End Enterprise ERP Installations ?

I had earlier written on the joint project of Microsoft and SAP.

Someone queried about Microsoft's importance on the enterprise ERP scene.


>If the MS Databases are so important, how come most SAP & Oracle
>Financials instances are running Oracle Database Engines rather than MS
>SQL Server ?

SAP ERP perhaps due to legacy.

SAP was founded in 1972. Oracle in 1977. MS Sequel Server was released in 1988.
(a clear decade behind in terms of calendar period).

Oracle Financials run Oracle Database Engines as part of an upward Software Stack Integration Strategy in the Software Layers Framework.

>If the MS Operating Systems are so important, how come most SAP & Oracle
>Financials instances are running Oracle on a flavour of Unix rather than
>Windows ?

Perhaps, the same legacy reason.

To the best of my knowledge, UNIX also had atleast had a couple of decades lead in operating systems compared to Windows.

>Show me a High End ERP (High End = SAP & Oracle) site and I'll show you
>a Unix/Oracle Configuration.

I am not too sure.

As per this link,


...."Microsoft Windows retained 51.3%, and UNIX settled at 41% of the
cumulative global market share for operating systems of SAP customer
production system database servers at the end of 2004. These two OSs
dominate the worldwide SAP customer base, and remain their low-risk
preference. .....

Also, as per today's prediction by a Gartner Vice-President in the local newspapers here, only Microsoft and LINUX will remain dominant operating systems after 5 years.