Linux or Windows?

A new survey by the US

says that the majority of Small to Medium Businesses (SMB) and enterprise customers deploying Windows Server 2003 find its quality, performance and reliability equal to or better than Linux.

This perception, combined with Microsoft’s extensive installed base, makes it difficult for Linux to displace Windows Server, Windows XP or Office in the SMB or enterprise markets.

However, Yankee Group’s survey shows Linux gaining momentum as a complementary server presence in Windows networks. More than 50% of companies surveyed said they plan to install Linux in parallel with, or in addition to, existing Windows operating systems.

According to the survey, most respondents that are deploying Linux say that action will not change the status of their installed NetWare and UNIX systems. However, some Netware and UNIX users will migrate away from those legacy operating systems.

The Linux-Windows 2005 TCO Comparison Survey analyses the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and rate of Return on Investment (ROI) of Windows versus Linux in SMB and enterprise environments. It provides survey results to questions companies face when determining their TCO, such as deployment costs, the cost of downtime, and the time and staff associated with internal and external security attacks.

As companies continue to weigh the security advantages of each operating system, Yankee Group found that users rated security of Linux and Windows Servers to be nearly equal. Microsoft continues to make significant strides in mending its security and patch management issues.

Yankee Group survey respondents said that Windows servers recover 30% faster from security attacks than Linux servers. But the survey respondents also indicated that the hourly cost of Windows downtime was three to four times higher than that of Linux server downtime, mainly because there is presently more crucial corporate data stored on Windows servers.

Yankee Group based its conclusions on responses from 509 companies spanning vertical markets, including healthcare, academia, financial services, legal, media, retail and government.