The Value of Linux for the SMB Market

Linux is here to stay. As the computing industry’s fastest growing operating system, some analysts predict that Linux will surpass Microsoft Windows in new server shipments in just a few years. This represents a significant growth opportunity for solution providers as Forrester Research estimates that 50 percent of SMBs would consider open source for desktop applications and 38 percent would consider open source for database applications. As the technology continues to mature, it’s becoming easier for solution providers to implement, allowing SMBs to overcome the real and imagined roadblocks to adoption.

Large corporations such as those in financial services, insurance, pharmaceuticals and the like already benefit from this flexible and cost-effective technology. These organizations have determined they weren’t achieving a strong enough return on their Windows investment, and with a little research, soon found Linux to be a viable alternative for delivering systems at the same or greater level of service – for substantially less. Having worked with their solution providers on their own Linux integrations, these large organizations paved the way for seamless adoption by others. It’s now the role of the solution provider to pass the knowledge of these Linux pioneers to the SMB community and others considering the technology.

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