Linux at Work

Linux is an operating system very similar to Unix. It can do most of what Unix and Windows NT can do only cheaper. But IT departments have been slow to adopt Linux for business use because it is "open source" technology, meaning that no one vendor like Sun or IBM or Microsoft is responsible for it. Even without IT endorsement, Linux has already made its way into most corporations and is in use - undocumented - for certain key applications. It's estimated that up to 70% of Apache web servers are running on Linux, as are about 45% of firewalls. Linux enterprise products and applications are expanding rapidly and require support in the form of documentation, implementation advice, and business strategy. Yet little or no information on corporate development is available in the literature. This text considers Linux as a platform for business applications from a strategic perspective. The first section provides basic understanding of the system. Whilst the second section addresses business strategies with emphasis on implementation scenarios, key result areas, and rationales. The third part surveys the major players, developers, vendors, supporters, and products.
Products are assessed for business applicability, advantages and disadvantages, technical issues, and likely development cycles.