The Linux Foundation released a report today that shows Linux implementations growing within large companies over the next five years. According to PC World, the full report included data from 1900 respondents. Among the full set of 1900 companies, 76% said that they would be adding more Linux servers in the coming year. Only 41% claimed that they would be increasing their Windows server implementations. If that isn’t impressive enough, the five-year view looks even better for the open source operating system. While 79% of the surveyed said that they would be adding Linux servers over the next five years, only 21% are going with Windows. Of the companies growing their Linux infrastructure, 37% of them would be migrations from Windows products.
Before everyone jumps on the obvious sample bias argument – it is The Linux Foundation, after all – Amanda MacPherson, VP of marketing and developer programs at The Linux Foundation, believes that the open source nature of Linux helps provide a data set that isn’t marred by sales data. Since Linux can be slapped on a server free of charge, you can’t link OS adoption data to server sales. It therefore gives a clearer view of what companies are really looking for in their server software.
Surprisingly enough, the aforementioned lack of price has not been a key factor in the growth evidenced by the survey. The main reason companies are looking to Linux is technical superiority. Cost came in second, and security came in third.
While Linux may not be as popular on the desktop these days, this survey confirms that Linux in the enterprise is growing, and it doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon.