WHY
LINUX?
by
Darren McCarthy
Freelance I.T. Consultant
Linux has spread into the many sectors and
looks set to increase sales further, as perceptions of the operating
system change in the face of costly Windows licenses.
Linux Sales
According to reports from SUSE's Linux Sales Director, the operating
system is "getting very close to where Windows is today,
and it's a great alternative for companies that can't afford thousands
of pounds for licensing". SUSE's remit is to expand and boost
sales across the world.
Linux is getting very close to where Windows is
today and it is a great alternative for companies that can't afford
thousands of pounds for licensing, as Microsoft Windows does.
As Linux is an Open Source operating system it means the costs
for using it in an organization are minimal, whereas Microsoft
charge annual license fees for their operating systems on the
desktop and server.
Many major companies are now distributing Linux
throughout their organizations, including Merrill Lynch and Credit
Suisse who are pursuing Linux on their application and web servers.
Particularly with Sun Solaris, IBM and Hewlett Packard now provide
Linux as an option when shipping their servers and they much support
Linux.
The industry is now starting to move towards Linux, but there
is often resistance to change. Companies are now formally assessing
the costs of Linux, assessing what costs they can save on and
what benefits it can bring to their businesses.
Microsoft
In the defence of Windows, it provides mobility, multiple languages
and a well-defined roadmap. It offers much more choice than Linux
and support is Linux's disadvantage. Microsoft is well established,
provides good support and most of the worlds I.T. workforce are
familiar with Microsoft products.
Change is something a lot of organizations have to think about
in terms of support for server applications and how users will
adapt for the desktop version of Linux.
As Linux has gradually moved closer to the heart
of the data center, IT directors have been anxious to ensure they
have access to trained workers who know the operating system inside
out and can be brought in to make any planned transition a success.
Certification
A number of groups are now providing Linux certification, including
the non-profit Linux Professional Institute; global IT trade group
CompTIA; the Linux Professional Group, which does Sair Linux certification;
and Linux vendor Red Hat.
Evan Leibovitch, president of the Linux Professional Institute,
reported that interest in getting Linux-certified workers has
been " staggering" in recent months.
Organizations looking at Linux for the first time often feels
more comfortable have people with certification. The comfort comes
from the feeling that this particular individual has enough knowledge
to pass the certification will make him/her very proficient in
it's use.
Similar strategies of creating certifications have proved successful
for Microsoft, Novell and Cisco Systems with the MCSE, CNE and
CCNA.
Open source code
One other benefit with Linux is that being Open Source it can
allow anyone to modify the software and tailor it to their needs.
Microsoft recently announced they have plans to allow governments
and organizations to have access to the windows source code. However,
Microsoft has imposed strict limits on what government users can
do. They will not be allowed to compile, redistribute or modify
the code.
So this means programmers wouldn't be able to modify any code
freely, just view it and let Microsoft know of any changes that
they would like, which doesn't go as Open Source as Linux does.
Darren McCarthy - Webmaster/Councillor
and Fellow of PKBD . A freelance IT Consultant who has been based
in the UK and is now located in Brunei.
.
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