Microsoft announced on Thursday that it was retiring its controversial "Get The Facts" web site, which promoted Microsoft products by casting doubts upon the cost-effectiveness of alternative operating systems. Get The Facts was launched in 2003 and provided comparisons between Microsoft server products and open source products that provided similar functions. The veracity of the Get The Facts site was questioned when it was revealed that Microsoft paid for much of the "third-party" research reports that were posted on the site. In a statement by Ryan Gavin, Microsoft's Director of Platform Strategy, the company said that it was replacing Get The Facts because much of the information on the site was no longer valid, however Microsoft calls the new site an "evolution" of Get The Facts.

In its new iteration, Get The Facts is now known as Windows Server/Compare and is designed to provide information about server purchasing decisions. Microsoft's competitive approach to open source software has changed somewhat, with the company conceding that many network environments are heterogeneous when it comes to server software. The new site acknowledges the customer need for interoperability, and Microsoft pledges to make its products accessible to the open source community. The new site also features more customer testimonials and research and news from more publicly recognized and independent firms, such as Gartner and IDC.