PRNewswire: Windows NT & Linux Show Greatest Potential Among Major Server Platforms In Latin America

“Windows NT and Linux were the only two server platforms
identified by survey respondents as “business- critical computing
environments” within their enterprises, according to a new
survey-based study published by IDC Latin America. This analysis is
the result of almost 500 interviews held with small, medium-sized,
and large-sized companies in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico during
the last quarter of 1999.”

“To uncover the dynamics driving the server platform market, IDC
Latin America analyzed the market’s installed base and migration
patterns, data storage, shared storage systems, distribution of
enterprise applications, and databases. “The results show that the
Windows NT platform is being deployed for all forms of enterprise
tasks — from collaborative and enterprise applications to
Web-oriented tasks — and its success has been at the expense of
other platforms, most notably NetWare,” said Alex Manfrediz, an
analyst with IDC’s Latin American enterprise research program. “We
believe the growth prospects for Windows NT will remain very
favorable given its rise in importance among enterprises.”

“The Linux platform, while undoubtedly still a young
platform in Latin America, is nonetheless creeping its way into the
enterprise. “Our survey results indicate that Linux servers are
increasing in use and more importantly assuming some
mission-critical functions,” said Manfrediz. “We expect that
this platform will play a significant role in processes related to
creating, servicing, and marketing Web sites.” As of yearend 1999,
survey results suggest that 8% of all servers in this sample were
Linux based; by yearend 2000 IDC predicts that this share will
increase to 10%.”

Press Release