Survey Says! Linux Fits into Long-Range Plans for Big Business

It's no surprise that enterprise has taken to Linux like a duck to water thanks to its stability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. The Linux Foundation commissioned a survey by the Yeoman Technology Group that shows the adoption of Linux at the big-business level will continue to climb as companies choose it when migrating old systems or adding to in-place deployments.

Who's getting kicked to the curb with the uptick in Linux adoption? Microsoft and Unix. Indeed, a full 66 percent of of those who responded to the survey say their Linux deployments are brand-spanking new. Let's take a look at some of the survey's other findings and what they mean.

According to the report released today:

· 79.4 percent of companies are adding more Linux relative to other operating systems in the next five years.

· Among the early adopters who are operating in cloud environments, 70.3 percent use Linux as their primary platform, while only 18.3 percent use Windows.

· 86.5 percent of respondents report that Linux is improving and 58.4 percent say their CIOs see Linux as more strategic to the organization as compared to three years ago.

· 60.2 percent of respondents say they will use Linux for more mission-critical workloads over the next 12 months.

More than 380 people chimed in on the survey and represent companies with at least $500 million in revenue or greater than 500 employees. In other words, not your average mom-and-pop enterprise. The findings shouldn't be lost on smaller companies and, in fact, perhaps are the very types of businesses that should take note.

Larger companies have deeper pockets and can absorb a bad IT decision much more cleanly than a small business with an even smaller bottom line. If the corporate suits in accounting and IT do their homework and choose Linux, the small shops can glean from their wisdom and do the same with confidence.

A nice side benefit to the continued adoption of Linux in enterprise is the influx of jobs for IT workers with Linux experience. According to the study, "The growth in Linux... is leading companies to increasingly seek Linux IT professionals, with 38.3 percent of respondents citing a lack of Linux talent as one of their main concerns related to the platform. "

Check out the 12-page report for yourself to get the full scoop on where today's big business says Linux is headed.