Big corporates are adopting Linux

An increasing number of large corporations in SA are adopting Linux technology for use in their mission-critical and server environments.

This is according to Anthony Davies, sales manager at independent IT solutions company First Technology, who says the first major adopters of Linux were predominantly from the telecommunications industry.

"Now Linux is finding favour with an increasing number of corporates where it is being used as a replacement for Unix and not for Windows operating systems. Corporations accustomed to the reliability of Unix are choosing Linux thanks to its straight-line portability and excellent price performance characteristics," he says.

"In addition, the dynamic nature of Linux as a customisable operating system allows these companies to provide their customers with a good service at a reduced price, thanks in part to the low cost of Linux software in a business-critical environment.

"However, smaller companies with between 100 and 200 users, which are not replacing Windows with Linux, are rather adopting Linux instead of high-end Unix systems," he says.

Another factor driving the adoption of Linux is the fact that an increasing number of software vendors are embracing and supporting the use of Linux in the corporate space.

"Oracle, HP, IBM and now Novell as well are promoting the use of Linux mainly because of Linux`s price performance when compared with other operating systems," says Davies.

He explains that from an application server perspective, Linux is the operating system of choice for many organisations. Existing systems can easily be ported onto Linux with current code. Linux is also preferred when it comes to clustering as well as scalability because it can offer between three and five times better price performance than competing solutions, he adds.

"On the down side, Linux can be difficult to set up if the administrator has little or no Unix experience. This is where Windows has come to the fore, as it is simple to administer and set up from scratch. However, there is a large Unix support base available, predominantly within the large corporates, which makes setting up Linux in a corporate environment a far less painful affair," says Davies.

"As far as installing new hardware is concerned, Linux is being more widely accepted as a viable option, predominantly because it is secure and stable - much like a Unix environment - and does not require virus checks or constant monitoring to ensure security remains uncompromised," he concludes.