Is Linux ready for the big leagues?
By John McCormick
April 15, 1999
Inter@ctive Week Online

Like a hot prospect coming out of spring training, people are wondering if Linux can really play in the Big Leagues. Some experts still say "not yet." But Linux has caught on this year, and some backers say the system now has all the tools to stick in an enterprise setting.

Experts have long cited the flexibility and cost savings of working with the open source operating system (OS). They touted Linux's small footprint and efficient code base, and they pointed to the reviews that rated Linux ahead of many Microsoft systems.

But corporate information technology managers continued to ask for the scouting reports: Can Linux run on multiple processors? Are there tools to support networked Linux environments? What about the availability of hardware-software packages? What about powerful business applications? And perhaps the biggest question: Is there enough information systems talent to support Linux-based mission-critical applications?

One by one, the marketplace seems be clearing up the remaining questions about Linux's ability to play in the majors. A slew of upgrades, applications, network management devices and support programs has been launched since January.

For instance, the new Linux kernel includes symmetric multiprocessing capabilities. PC Week Labs tested the kernel and found the system could run input-output operations on multiple processors and perform at an enterprise level.

On the network management front, Computer Associates International plans to bring its Unicenter package to Linux, and IBM's Tivoli) is said to be working on a Linux product. As for hardware-software combos, Dell Computer said last week that it will factory-install Red Hat's Linux on its PowerEdge servers and Dell Precision WorkStations.

Applications? IBM's Lotus division says it will release a version of Notes for Linux this year. SAP says it will offer a version of its popular R/3 enterprise resource planning software for Linux. And there even are rumblings that Microsoft might be working on a version of Office for Linux.

On the support side, in addition to the major Linux distributors, independent companies have emerged to offer customer support services. One is LinuxCare, which was started by Art Tyde, who headed the Bay Area Linux User Group, and some partners.

Tyde, the company's chief executive officer, says business is good, and the start-up is working with or negotiating with enterprise-level clients. "Big companies that we weren't expecting to hear from are calling us," he says. And LinuxCare is having no problems finding qualified Linux developers, he adds.

With all the recent activity, it was no surprise last month when International Data Corp. released numbers showing Linux to be the fastest growing OS. The research says commercial Linux shipments will rise at a compound annual growth rate of 25 percent -- compared with 10 percent and 12 percent, respectively, for other client and server OSes.

Granted, there still are a few functional areas in which observers say Linux doesn't quite measure up. The user interfaces are still being defined, and the OS could be better at handling powerful online transaction processing. But then again, people questioned young Nolan Ryan's pitching accuracy and wondered if young Mickey Mantle could hit. Linux can play in the enterprise today, and, like a maturing athlete, it's only going to get bigger, stronger and faster.

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