Linux Not A Low-Cost Alternative to Unix and Windows for Large Enterprises, says the Yankee Group
Recent survey shows improved TCO appears limited to small firms
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2004--
According to a new Yankee Group survey of 1,000 IT administrators and C-level executives worldwide, corporate customers report Linux provides businesses with excellent performance, reliability, ease of use and security. Hype notwithstanding, Linux's technical merits, while first-rate, are equivalent but not superior to Unix and Windows Server 2003, according to survey respondents.
"In large enterprises, a significant Linux deployment or total switch from Windows to Linux, would be three to four times more expensive and take three times as long to deploy as an upgrade from one version of Windows to newer Windows releases," says Laura DiDio, Yankee Group Application Infrastructure & Software Platforms senior analyst. "The instances where Linux imparts measurably improved TCO compared with Unix and Windows are in small firms with customized vertical applications or new, greenfield networking situations."
The most surprising survey revelation: 90 percent of the 300 large enterprises with 10,000 or more end users indicated that a significant or total switch from Windows to Linux would be prohibitively expensive, extremely complex and time consuming, and would not provide any tangible business gains for the organization.
The survey further found that although Linux's momentum is undeniable, the Open Source operating system will not dethrone Microsoft Windows as the leading server vendor in the next 2 years. And Linux desktops are not expected to make a perceptible dent in Windows' 94 percent market share between now and 2006.
NOTE TO EDITORS
For interviews contact Laura DiDio, ldidio@yankeegroup.com.
CORPORATE CONTACT
Kim Vranas, director of marketing, 617-880-0214, kvranas@yankeegroup.com.
THE YANKEE GROUP (www.yankeegroup.com)
The Yankee Group is the global leader in communications & networking research and consulting. The company helps businesses understand the opportunities, risks and competitive pressures of developing, deploying and consuming products and services that drive communication or information exchange. Now in its fourth decade, the Yankee Group is based in Boston with offices throughout North America and Europe.
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