Laura DiDio, newsfactor.com
With no apologies to the partisans and protagonists on either side of the Linux-versus-Windows debate: It's not an either-or, all-or-nothing proposition.
There are technical and business advantages and disadvantages for both operating-system environments. Neither server system will consume the other. Both will coexist. The big question currently confronting corporate users is whether harmonious heterogeneity is possible.
It had better be. If it is not forthcoming, everyone -- corporate end users and vendors alike -- stands to lose.
Here's where things stand now: Microsoft's Windows commands 65 to 70 percent of the server operating system market, while the Linux share stands at 15 to 20 percent. Currently, Linux server shipments represent the fastest-growing segment of the market.
No Basis for Mass Switch
Yankee Group recently completed an extensive total cost of ownership (TCO) comparison report in which it polled 500 North American corporations on their use of Windows and Linux. The high-level findings show that there is no universal clear-cut TCO basis to compel the corporate masses to do a wholesale switch from Windows to Linux as there is for a migration from Unix to Linux. And there is no indication that users are replacing Windows with Linux.
The majority of wholesale defections to Linux continues to come at the expense of midrange Unix installations, although many organizations are installing Linux as an OS that is complementary to existing Windows servers. Nearly two-thirds of Windows environments now have Linux or some other open-source distribution present in their environments. This trend will continue.
The report also indicates that businesses continue to expand the ways they use Linux. More than 50 percent of corporations now use Linux as multipurpose servers to perform several functions, including serving Web pages, e-mail and applications.
But, contrary to what the headlines would have us believe, the biggest threat to Microsoft's continued dominance, at present, is not Linux. It is older versions of Windows. The biggest threat to Linux is not Microsoft, but rather integration and interoperability issues among the various Linux and open-source distributions and applications. The lack of enterprise-level application support and documentation for the aforementioned software packages also is an issue.
Energy and Enthusiasm
Pragmatism -- not misguided passion -- should decide whether Linux, Windows, Unix or any combination of the three is the best solution for an individual organization.
Don't get me wrong. I applaud the passion of the software developers and I.T. administrators who pour their time, effort, energy and enthusiasm into their work. But I abhor it when the passion disintegrates into mudslinging and counterproductive internecine warfare. That does not help the business or any of the corporation's end users.
To put it simply, both Windows and Linux have much to recommend them. Largely, server operating systems have been commoditized. A corporation's TCO and ROI are less factors of the underlying Linux or Windows operating systems than they are of the applications and services that support the server platforms.
The most startling revelation coming out of the report was the fact that more than 50 percent of the respondents said they had performed a thorough TCO analysis. But when asked to calculate their specific Linux and Windows capital expenditure and maintenance costs, 75 percent, on average, could not answer explicit questions about their own environments.
Crucial, Basic TCO Information
Businesses lack basic, crucial TCO information, such as the cost of a Linux or Windows server upgrade and what they are spending on network management, third-party applications, tools, utilities, ongoing maintenance, security, systems downtime, calls to the help desk and hardware and software breaks and fixes.
The absence of such crucial financial information makes it difficult for corporations to make informed purchasing decisions and heightens risks when choosing technologies that are ill-suited to their business needs.
It is clear that Linux servers, spurred by support from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Oracle, Red Hat and others, are legitimate contenders in the corporate enterprise. But Linux desktops have yet to make a perceptible impact or gain traction in mainstream enterprise accounts.
It also is clear that Microsoft recognizes the Linux challenge posed by its old and new foes. The company has responded positively and aggressively to meet the challenge. Ironically, Linux has had a positive impact on Windows. Faced with its fiercest competitor in the past decade, Microsoft responded with a series of aggressive moves.
Competition creates a win-win situation for everyone. Corporate customers get better products, services and more competitive pricing as Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and the various Linux distributors compete for their business. Rival vendors improve the inherent performance, reliability, security and scalability of their core offerings.
Maximizing Network Potential
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all operating system that is right for every scenario in every environment. Depending on a corporation's business needs, current and planned technology infrastructure, and capital-expenditure budgets, either Windows, Linux or some combination of the two might best suit the firm's technology needs, budget and business goals.
But the brand name is less important than the overarching issues associated with whether corporate I.T. managers, CTOs and CIOs can answer specific questions about the cost and efficiency of their existing network infrastructure and the reasons for the relative strengths and weaknesses.
If you do not know what is on your network, if you cannot at least estimate the hourly, monthly or yearly cost of downtime, if you do not know how long it takes to recover from a security outage, if you cannot answer questions about the extent of your company's license compliance, then you cannot truly evaluate whether Linux, Windows or Unix is right for your business.
Chances are, if you cannot answer most or all of those questions, it does not matter what operating system you have because ignorance of the core TCO tenets means that your business is not getting the most out of its networks.
It is incumbent on individual organizations to determine which operating system -- or combination thereof -- best suits their firm's technology needs, budgets and business goals. With proper planning, training and due diligence, Linux, Windows or Unix can provide the best TCO and fastest ROI. Companies that fail to perform due diligence are buying blind and will almost surely suffer the consequences.
Laura DiDio is a Research Fellow at Yankee Group, a Boston-based consultancy. She has covered operating systems and related security issues for 18 years as an analyst, reporter and editor.
Copyright 2005 NewsFactor Network, Inc.
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