Linux Muscles Into Microsoft’s Space

Is Linux a better choice for business than, say, a proprietary operating system such as Microsoft Windows? The debate, full of passion and conviction, rages on both sides of this issue. Over the past several years, Linux has elevated itself as a respectable competitor despite Microsoft’s dominance in the operating systems market. Linux is used extensively in today’s business operating platforms, in Web servers, the Domain Name System, FTP, e-mail, firewalls, Web hosting, network monitoring and desktop applications, for example. Some form of Linux is used in nearly 80% of companies today. Most of them deploy it from a server level, and interest in desktop functionality is growing. The rapid migration of Linux inside global businesses and government agencies is likely related to the increase in quality, security and cost-effectiveness that Linux provides.