Microsoft is taking its biggest step beyond the Windows operating system since chief executive Satya Nadella started a rethink of its core software strategy two years ago.

微软(Microsoft)正在非Windows操作系统领域展开大的动作，这是自该公司首席执行官萨蒂亚•纳德拉（Satya Nadella，上图）两年前开始反思其核心软件战略以来，它在这一领域采取的最重大举措。

The company announced on Monday that it would put one of its main products on Linux for the first time, selling a version of its database software to run on the open source operating system.

周一微软宣布，将把自己的一款主要产品首次放置到开源操作系统Linux上，也就是说，将销售其数据库软件的Linux版。

Until now it has only sold the product, called SQL Server, to run on Windows, reflecting the tight integration¹ Microsoft has traditionally used to protect revenues from its own operating system.

到目前为止，微软销售的这款名为SQL Server的产品还只运行在Windows系统上，反映出该公司一直在运用紧密集成来保护来自其自身操作系统的营收。

Mr Nadella said the change in strategy would give Microsoft a shot at the much bigger part of the database market that does not run on Windows, and denied that it would lead to a “cannibalisation” of Microsoft’s operating system as customers opted² for Linux instead.

纳德拉表示，这一战略调整将令微软能够进军数据库市场的一块大得多的领域，即非Windows系统数据库领域。此外，他还否认这么做会导致客户选择Linux、进而蚕食微软操作系统的市场份额。

“I want us to be aggressive in going after all opportunities,” he said. Asked if this was a direct attack on Oracle³, the leading database software company, he added: “They are the incumbents⁴, absolutely.” The new software is not scheduled for release until mid-2017.

他说：“我希望我们积极地追逐所有机遇。”在被问到此举是否是对头号数据库软件公司甲骨文(Oracle)发动的直接攻击时，他补充说：“他们无疑是现在的老大。”微软的这款新软件要到2017年年中以后才会发布。

Microsoft overtook IBM to move into second place in the $32bn a year database market between 2011-14, according to Gartner, the research group, although its 21 per cent market share was still only half that of Oracle.

根据研究集团高德纳(Gartner)的数据，2011年到2014年间，微软超越了IBM，在年价值320亿美元的数据库市场占据了第二把交椅，但它的市场份额只有21%，是甲骨文的一半。

Scott Guthrie, the executive in charge of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise group, indicated that it would price the software in line with what it charges on Windows, a level he said would be “disruptive” to other database companies.

微软负责云计算和企业业务的高管斯科特•格思里(Scott Guthrie)指出，微软对这款软件的定价将与Windows版一致。他表示，这一定价对其他数据库公司来说将是“颠覆性的”。

Microsoft quotes a price of $13,000 for running its database software on the most basic servers, compared to a list price of more than $100,000 for a similar Oracle licence once various add-on features are included, according to Donald Feinberg, a Gartner analyst⁵. Oracle discounts often mean its customers pay significantly less than the list price, though Microsoft’s software was still likely to be much cheaper, he added.

根据高德纳分析师唐纳德•范伯格(Donald Feinberg)的说法，微软对其运行在最基本服务器上的数据库软件的报价是1.3万美元，而与之类似的Oracle许可证的目录价格超过10万美元（含各种附加功能）。他补充说，Oracle提供的折扣往往意味着客户付的钱要显著低于目录价格，但微软的新软件仍有可能会便宜得多。