Linux Gaining Strength In Downturn

“Sixty-five percent of the 330 respondents said they plan to
increase Linux server workloads by 10% or more this year.
Sixty-three percent said they will increase their use of Linux on
the desktop by more than 10% this year, although such an increase
would still probably represent a miniscule share of all desktops.
Forty-nine percent said they expect Linux will be their primary
server platform within five years.

“The first two numbers happen to closely track the 62% of
respondents who said they are facing IT budget cuts or “are moving
more cautiously and investing only where needed,” noted authors Al
Gillen and Brett Waldman.

“Of the CIOs, VPs of IT, and IT managers and professional
staffers surveyed, 97% had Windows Server in use; 57% had Linux in
use as a server system, and 39% also used Unix. The paper seemed to
show that those already using Linux tend to use more of it during a
recession, and in some cases, decrease their reliance on commercial
Unix. Given a chance to migrate away from Unix, the respondents
often said they would choose Linux as the replacement based on its
low support costs.”

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