“The Linux Operating System Is No Longer A Corporate
Curiosity. But Controversy Over Its Shortcomings Continues To
Rage.“
“The Linux operating system is a study of contradictions. It’s
free, but businesses are willing to pay for it. It’s feature-rich,
but lacks some of the basic functionality IT departments expect.
It’s reliable, but few companies are running key business
applications on it. Ultimately, Linux could succeed as an
enterprise operating system regardless of its drawbacks-or fail,
despite its strengths.”
“Either way, Linux is no longer a mere curiosity in business IT
environments. According to a new survey by InformationWeek
Research, 26% of IT managers say their companies now use the
operating system-up sharply from 14% in March 1999. Another 11% of
the 300 IT managers surveyed plan to deploy Linux within the next
year. That means more than a third of businesses use or plan to use
Linux. Not long ago, “businesses were being asked, ‘What’s your
Internet strategy?'” says Larry Augustin, CEO of VA Linux Systems
Inc., a company whose initial public offering last year set a Wall
Street record by shooting up 700% on its first day of trading. “Now
they’re being asked, “What’s your Linux strategy?”