For the last decades, computers have become a handy tool for all business operations. With the fast introduction of computer technologies, the purchasing costs of hardware are becoming less costly. However, the purchasing cost for software has become on the contrary more and more expensive and the monopolizing of software enterprises has narrowed our choice of selection. For the server market, problems are even worse. Nowadays, companies are required not only to spend thousands and million of dollars on server costs, but also licensing fees are becoming more costly as we speak. Companies are required to pay for every extra user/terminal that links to the server and this is becoming an unbearable liability for companies in the long run. Recently, companies in Wall Street are looking for ways of solving this dependency of Sun Solaris and Microsoft Windows Server. Their solution is Linux. How is this related to our business? Well, Minuxsoft is a consulting company that can aid companies in eliminating the proprietary software and its licensing fee by setting up LINUX-servers. With our experience in setting, migrating, and maintaining LINUX servers, we can help companies built a reliable, stable server that is less costly than that of Windows and Solaris. Plus, we can transfer all your database and applications from the previous server to the new LINUX server without interrupting your business operation or shutting down your company web site.

The evolution of Linux began in 1991 by a Finnish college student named Linus Torvalds. The initial purpose of creating this program was for his own convenience in writing programs at home while still being able to up load it at the university's Sun workstations. The unique feature of Linux is that, although it is an imitation of UNIX, it's different from it in the sense that all the codes needed for this program are made available to the public - meaning that there is no licensing fee to be charged. Due to the fact that Linux is registered under the GNU (General Public License), it cannot be copyrighted by any individual or organization, even if modifications are to be done on it. So, when companies are paying for Linux, they are paying only for the development, customizing, and maintenance of the OS and the large amount of licensing fees are to be terminated altogether. Just by switching to Linux, companies can already save a lump sum of maintenance fees on hand. Once the major decision has been made, the setting up of the OS in comparison is much easier. All you have to do is hook up your servers, with as many terminals as you like on the Linux base foundation, and then you can enjoy the privilege of never paying for any extra licensing fees again.
Traditionally, server markets are dominated by Sun Solaris, IBM, Oracles, Dell, and HP where most of them run in a UNIX based OS. Microsoft entered this market with the Windows server, and within several years has monopolized the software markets demanding most of the small to medium size businesses around the world to pay vast amount of money for the usage of their products. With the introduction of Linux, businesses are now switching to this open source system to lower their overhead costs. According to a year ended report done by well known high tech research firm International Data Corp. (IDC), the number of Linux servers sold in a year grew 18%, while Windows servers grew only 3% and the selling of UNIX servers fell by 7%. In an interval of 15 months, the sales of IBM's Linux servers had raise from 95 units to 800 units. In the up coming fiscal year, Dell and HP are also expecting their sales of Linux servers to rise from 10% to 15%.

Previously, with no big companies backing up Linux, Linux was merely seen as an experiment rather than a solution. However, with Red Hat coming up with the new version of Linux Advance Server, this long hidden system can finally make its mark in the business world. The CEO of Oracle, Larry Ellison had announced earlier that they will be teaming up with Red Hat in the installation of a Linux base server into their Oracle 9i. While IBM, HP, and Sun are also stating that they will install Linux into some of their new servers for trials. Businesses are now viewing Linux as becoming a more reliable alternative to Sun Solaris and Microsoft, with more flexibility, security, and most importantly, with much less cost.

So, what do these big corporations sees in Linux, it is very transparent. The main benefit of Linux is that its codes are free to the public. Therefore, it is very easy for firms of any size even as large as Dell, IBM, HP or Microsoft, to modify their computers. This feature is very important for servers used by businesses, because the efficient operation of the business solely depends on these servers.

By switching to Linux Server, businesses can now save all the money spent towards paying license fees, to more frequent update, also, while the cost of hardware upgrade had been reduced, we guarantee that the performance and the speed will not. To strengthen your confidence in Linux, here are some of the successful examples of how Linux has helped corporations in saving huge amounts of money while improving their working performances. DreamWorks for one has replaced their high-powered SGI servers and Workstations with 600 Linux on HP graphic workstations and 500 CPUs Linux clusters for their back-end render farm. The result is that time for rendering the graphics has reduced from 3 hours to close to real time. Also, the cost of SGI workstation used to be $30,000 each, but now, each Linux workstation only cost a couple of thousands. So animators are now given much more flexibility of choosing their working environment while the company can also save vast amount of money on its mainframes. Another successfully example is Amazon.com. Its pure financial decision of switching to Linux has resulted in cost reduction solution. In 120 days, Amazon has replaced about 2,000 Sun Servers with about the same number of Intel-based Linux servers, roughly 90% of all their machines. With the saving from hardware, software, licensing, and laboring cost, the total overhead costs at Amazon went down by 16%, or $21.5 million. This year Amazon expects to run a profit instead of a loss partly due to turning to the Linux solution.

From all the successful stories listed above, we hope that it will have given you some of the confidence needed to switch to Linux as a cost saving solution. Switching to Linux is not a big transformation. It does not take you a long period to adapt. Switching to Linux is not hazardous; it will not only reduces your long term costs, but also improve your business performances by boosting up your company's efficiency. In the near future, Linux will become the solely solution for businesses around the world. Hopefully by taking a look at our analysis on Linux, we can start you off in a deep consideration of switching to this cost lowering, better performing product.

There is a growing trend in Linux implementations all over the world., which enables users to reap the benefits of the Intel platform. Some notable companies employing Linux solutions are:

• Merrill Lynch
• Morgan Stanley
• Amazon.com Inc.
• eBay
• Wal-Mart
• Dell Computers
• Sony
• Nokia
• DaimlerChrysler
• Mercedes Benz AG
• Boeing
• Cisco

The initial draw to Linux is the prospect of lowering costs. In general, Linux requires no licensing fee, and systems can be clustered together so that manual administration is easier and requires fewer bodies.

Merrill Lynch is one of many Wall Street companies doing a large-scale Linux deployment in an effort to cut their costs and boost revenue. In fact, Merrill's plans are the first company that carries out a wide, rather than departmental, Linux implementations. The Linux implementations could save Merrill tens of millions of dollars annually within three to five years.

Furthermore, Amazon.com, one of the web's premier retailer, revealed on August 14, 2002 that it saved millions of dollars by ditching its proprietary Unix systems in favor of Linux.

In conjunction to its enticing prospect of saving cost and boosting revenue, Linux is also reliable and powerful. Besides Amazon.com, all of the top five e-commerce sites, including eBay, Wal-Mart Stores, Dell Computer and American Greetings, all use Linux to some degree.

You're in an arms race in terms of computing power says Jeffrey Birnbaum, global head of Enterprise Computing at Morgan Stanley. Every bit of performance helps. Birnbaum says that since November 2001, Morgan Stanley has installed 900 servers that run Linux. And Wall Street is often ahead of the mainstream in adopting new technology.

Sony Development, one of the leaders in designing, engineering, and developing location-based entertainment and retail entertainment systems, uses Linux extensively. Electronic mail server, network file server and software development are only a few of many functions that Sony Development uses.

Similarly, Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, uses Linux to handle electronic mail server, network file server and software development, as well as manage all major internal print servers.

The number of businesses and organizations using Linux in all aspects of their business is growing and growing fast. Just two years ago, Linux in Wall Street has a market share of 0.5%, but it has increased to 7% this year. Now every major company, including Nokia, Mercedes Benz AG, Daimler Chrysler and The Boeing Company, has some sort of Linux strategy. Although companies are using Linux mainly for more commodity applications, such as serving up Web pages, but Linux will mature, and the time for Linux will come.

According to the Top500 supercomputers website, Linux cluster is in the Top 5 fastest clusters in the world. Some of these Linux clusters in the Top 500 are found in national institutions such as: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Other than these government operated organizations, many high performance, server-based products manufactured by the giants in the computer industry also support Linux. For example, IBM's mainframe class S/390 and zSeries eServer, HP's AlphaServer, SGI's latest Altix 3000 server with support for 64 CPUs.

A research performed by Jupiter Media Metrix showed that the five largest websites in e-commerce make use of Linux as well. Besides Amazon, the list includes eBay, Wal-Mart Stores, Dell Computer, American Greetings. What drew these companies to Linux initially is the prospect of lower costs. In general, Linux requires no licensing fee, and systems can be clustered together so that manual administration is easier and requires fewer bodies. In addition, the web development tools available for Linux allow the creation of a Web storefront to be done comparatively quick and easy. Linux can also run on systems and devices that use processors from a wide variety of companies. This means that Linux applications written for one platform or device can run on another platform or device, and that a company's information can be accessible to a greater number of people.

Based on a research by IDC, Linux is currently the fastest growing server operating system. It continues to achieve widespread adoption among the largest enterprises in mission-critical roles. A Merrill Lynch study found that a third of CIOs plan to buy Linux systems this year, and a quarter of CIOs said that Linux is strategic to their enterprise. The most logical explanation to the result is Linux's economical deploy cost, and its reputation as a stable and reliable operating system. However, Red Hat Linux is a packaged version of the OS that has to be purchased . Yet, it is the market-leading and most trusted of all Linux distribution because of its complete and meticulous engineering. The following are some of Red Hat Linux's key features:

Even though IBM doesn't expect to replace their AIX version of Unix any time soon, they admit that the idea is acceptable. They also acknowledge Linux as AIX's logical successor. One of the most obvious reason why IBM is optimistic about the future of Linux is the profit that they earned. The company said it had $1.5 billion in Linux-related revenue in 2002. Its Linux customers include Thrifty car rental, China Post, the Bank of Birmingham in Alabama, Unilever, J.P. Morgan, and Tommy Hilfiger. Similar to IBM, Hewlett Packard is also confident in the development of Linux. It managed to earn a $2 billion Linux-related revenue in 2002. These figures clearly show that profit can be made from this freely obtained operating system.

Linux is a clone of Unix in many ways. However, Linux is an open-source project, meaning that any company or person may see, modify and redistribute the software. Additionally, it works on many processors, most notably Intel's widely used products. On the other hand, various versions of Unix are typically tied to a particular processor - for example, AIX to IBM's Power chips.

Most applications needed to run on Linux enterprises are either already made available, or will be developed in the very near future. It is because more and more Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) now consider Linux as a vital platform for their future success. Here is a list of applications currently available:

• BEA
  • BEA WebLogic Server 7.0 SP1
  • BEA WebLogic JRockit 7.0 (J2SE 1.3.1 and 1.4.0 certified)
• BMC
  • Patrol - Predict
  • Patrol (coming soon)
  • Control-M Agent (coming soon)
• CommVault
  • Galaxy 4.1 (Data Recovery)
• Computer Associates (CA)
  • Unicenter AutoSys Job Management 4.0
    • Console, Server, Remote Agent, Xpert
    • Oracle 9i, 8.1.7, Sybase
  • Unicenter Network and Systems Management (NSM) 3.0 (in beta)
  • eTrust Antivirus (coming soon)
  • eTrust AccessControl (in beta)
  • BrightStor ARCserve Backup (coming soon)
• EMC
  • PowerPath v3.0.2 b069
• IBM
  • DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition 8.1
  • DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition 8.1
  • DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Unlimited Edition 8.1
  • DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition 8.1
  • DB2 Personal Developer's Edition 8.1
  • DB2 Universal Developer's Edition 8.1
  • Director v4.1
  • Director Integrator v5.1
  • Directory Server v5.1
  • Tivoli Enterprise Console 3.8
    • Enterprise Console, Server, Gateway, UI Server, Java Console, Endpoint
    • Network Management Engine
  • Tivoli Enterprise Console 3.7.1
    • FP3 Endpoint on a TMF
    • LCF
  • Tivoli Monitoring for Transaction Performance 5.1
    • Web Service Courier Endpoints
    • Web Service Investigator Endpoints
    • Quality of Service Endpoints
  • Tivoli Storage Manager 5.1.5
    • Server, Client
  • WebSphere Application Server 5.0
  • WebSphere Application Server - Express 5.0 - Remote Server
  • WebSphere Application Server for Developers 5.0
  • WebSphere Application Server for Network Deployment 5.0
  • WebSphere MQ for Linux 5.3
• Legato
  • Legato Networker 6.1.3
    • Networker Module for Oracle
• MicroFocus
  • Object COBOL Compiler
• Oracle
  • Oracle 9i Server Enterprise Edition (9.2, 9.0.1)
  • Oracle 9i Server Standard Edition (9.2, 9.0.1)
  • Oracle 9i RAC (9.2, 9.0.1)
  • Oracle 8i Server (8.1.7)
  • Oracle Express Server (6.3.4, 6.3.2.1B) with 8.1.7
  • Oracle 9i Application Server Enterprise Edition (9.0.3, 9.0.2.0.1, 9.0.2) with 8i or 9i Server
  • Oracle 11i eBusiness Suite (11.5.7)
  • Oracle Collaboration Suite (9.0.3) with Oracle Server Enterprise Edition 9i
• Platform Computing
  • Symphony
  • LSF 5.0
• PolyServe
  • PolyServe Matrix Server 1.1
• Rogue Wave
  • Source Pro C++ Core
  • Source Pro C++ Net
  • Source Pro C++ Analysis
  • Source Pro C++ DB
• Sistina
  • Global File System (GFS) 5.1
• Synopsys
  • U-Foundation 2003.03, 2003.06, 2003.09
• VERITAS
  • VERITAS Cluster Server
  • VERITAS Foundation Suite (Volume Manager and File System)
  • VERITAS NetBackup Business Server (server and client)
  • VERITAS NetBackup Datacenter (server and client)
• VMWare
  • VMWare ESX Server (as guest operating system)

The Department of Homeland Security site recently upgraded from Microsoft Windows 2000 to Linux. The web sites for FBI and White House also make use of Linux. Even though the government of the United States maintain some of the most confidential and crucial information in the world, they decide to use Linux on their systems. This is a clear evident that proves Linux is a secure operating system because otherwise, hackers can easily get into their database inside and out to steal valuable information.

There is a misconception that Linux is more vulnerable than other systems. However, some argue that Linux is just as secure, or perhaps even more secure than Unix, Microsoft's Windows NT or Novell's NetWare. The misconception arose from the genesis of Linux. As stated by Heather Hayes, "Linux came out of the hacker community - hacker in the good sense, where there's this international global effort to develop a source code that is fully open, fully visible to everyone-that immediately brings up all sorts of concerns and worries about what that means. Can people break in? Can people plan Trojan horses? It's almost a reflex action."

Recently, the National Security Agency released a prototype of a security-enhanced Linux system and released it to the public. The prototype boosts Linux with new, stronger protections against tampering and bypassing application security mechanisms and with greater limits on the damage that can be caused by malicious or flawed applications. Among the new features are much-needed access controls at the user level and within the software itself. While other commercial operating system designers are looking at the source code for ideas to enhance their products, some of the Department of Defence service elements expressed interests in using this security-enhanced version of Linux.

Perhaps Linux, as well as other operating systems may not be flawless in their security right now, but it will certainly improve as it becomes more developed.

Linux is winning support from businesses worldwide with its stability, reliability and usability. IBM, long a supporter of Linux, remains one of the foremost company to have support for Linux. In fact, it was the support of Linux from IBM that gave rise to the popularity of Linux. As Merrill Lunch CTO John McKinley said, "IBM announcing they were embracing Linux three years ago was key to us, because then we had an organization we could call upon at 2 a.m. on a Saturday morning if we had issues."

In addition to IBM, there are many companies that provide Linux solutions. Sun Microsystems, a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software, and services that make the Net work, also provides Linux solutions and support. Suns is famous for providing services for its Solaris Operating System, and its decision to provide Linux solutions only goes to strengthening Linux's potential and credibility.

Red Hat Linux, the largest and most recognized provider of open source technology, also provides support services for its users on performance upgrades and fixes.

As more and more companies start to support Linux, it is increasingly being sought out by businesses seeking a low-cost and stable software alternative to proprietary Unix platforms such as HP's HP-UX and IBM's AIX, as well as Microsoft's Windows. With its increasing popularity, more companies are developing applications and software based on the open-source operating system. The world's two largest consumer electronics companies, Sony and Matsushita Electric Industrial, said on December 18, 2002 that they would jointly develop an operating system for consumer gadgets that is based on the open-source Linux.

On the other hand, Oracle, the developer of Oracle9i Database, which is the state of the art in object-relational databases, fully embraces the Linux revolution and currently offers the Oracle Database, Application Server, and Developer Suite on major Linux distributions such as Red Hat, SuSE and Caldera.

Linux is maturing. As Linux receives more support from major companies like IBM, Sun, HP and Oracle, there will be more and more demand for Linux. As a matter of fact, the demand is expected to remain strong through 2006, according to IDC, with revenue from licensing forecasted to increase at a 19.7 percent compound annual growth rate. Although Linux isn't sophisticated enough yet and doesn't have enough applications to run the most high-end functions, the day that Linux dominating the market will eventually come.

The advantage of switching to Linux is that, Linux can bring your basic customers and vendor power relationship onto a whole new phase. In the past, when problems occur with Sun while using Solaris, firms are left with no choice but to replace their entire stacks, port their existing middleware and applications, and then retrain. Since everything was restricted by the one decision of the OS, many firms are now realizing the usage of the Solaris system generally yields to unprofitable returns. With the introduction of Linux into your company’s existing infrastructure, you can now enjoy more freedom of choosing the right hardware and software for your company without going through all the past troubles. The benefit of switching to Linux is that if you don't like the hardware vendor you are using now, you can change the hardware vendor anytime you want without causing any complications to your daily business operations. Linux can bring you this convenience because Linux functions the same whether it is on IBM, HP or Sun hardware. Linux also provide the freedom for you to change your hardware architecture whenever you like. You can choose to go from Intel to Power PC or to mainframes without changing the fundamental applications. All you have to do is to recompile, it is as simple as that. The purpose of stating these benefits is that this application will ultimately bring vendors onto a whole new ball game. With the increase in efficiency and productivity, vendors can now easily retain customers by having the best price, best service, and best products every cycle, and not just the first sale cycle, but every time there's a renewal.