Choosing a platform to power your business

Linux. Its everywhere. More than 90% of the world's supercomputers use it. It powers over 60% of the internet's webservers such as Google and Amazon. And it's probably running your smartphone. Even the Mac's Darwin foundation has the same roots as Linux. Yet all too often we see Linux disregarded by small businesses in their initial technology strategy, because they feel it is unfamiliar. Unfortunately, this is the very demographic that would benefit from Linux the most.

Although Linux has zero software licensing costs, it is widely renowned for its performance, stability, and security. Linux handles a large number of simultaneous processes effortlessly and is well known for its ability to run for years without crashing, making it an ideal choice for businesses that cannot afford downtime. Linux's flexibility is unsurpassed. Its trim enough to power Android smartphones and scalable enough to run NASA's supercomputers.

Linux is open source. That means that you have the ability to tweak it to fit your application, on an as needed basis. There are literally hundreds of thousands of high quality addons to choose from for everything from accounting to DNA sequencing. What's more, there is no commercial vendor trying to lock you into their technology stack and licensing arrangements.

Linux is known for its superior quality. Based on Unix, Linux has been tried and tested for over 30 years with very little exploitation in comparison to its counterparts. Its inherent multi user architecture promotes security through trust segregation and permissions. A vibrant community continuously reviews and updates the open source code base, protecting it from vulnerabilities and obsolesce.

To business users and decision makers Linux may often be the lesser known operating system. However, its low total cost of ownership, inherent security, vendor freedom and engineering flexibility make it a better, if not obvious, choice for many business applications.