Linux has been a mainstay of the web server ecosystem during most of the internet’s transition into a true global network. As an affordable server platform, it allowed many developers to establish a presence and reputation on the web and through the open source LAMP stack and allowed many to prop up websites with very little capital.
In enterprise, it has fought alongside Windows Server and various flavors of Unix for recognition. The first web bubble helped companies such as Sun sell a great deal of expensive, enterprise-ready equipment, and helped Microsoft license its server technology. However, are we long past the first web bubble (and much wiser for it.) In the modern economy, affordable Linux servers are far outpacing both Windows and Unix alternatives. However, it is not only the economic angle that is driving the growth of Linux.
In the past managers and IT directors have carried skepticism towards the platform, despite its overlap with Unix. It was fairly common to question its security and reliability. However, those fears have long dissipated and Linux is by far the fastest growing platform. According to a recent study, Linux experienced 12.7 percent year-over-year growth in the last quarter of 2012. Windows barely budged and Unix actually went down by 24.1 percent.
Furthermore, the breakdown of the key drivers to its adoption is:
- the feature set at 75 percent
- the reduced TCO at 71 percent
- security at 69 percent
All misgiving and mischaracterizations of Linux have virtually disappeared, and now is the right time to begin embracing the platform.
The operating system has a successful history as a web server stack, a host for enterprise application servers, and it is also the base for major content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress and Drupal. However, it is just as effective as the foundation of an email server stack. Just as it has shown itself to be ideal for mission-critical applications, it has proven itself to be perfect as the host for a Microsoft Exchange alternative provider. Contact AE Technology to learn more.
