What’s not always appreciated, is just how significant a portion of the market Linux servers are getting to be.
Whereas unit shipments of Windows servers increased 28.2 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2010, Linux server revenue grew 30.0 percent to $1.8 billion when compared with the second quarter of 2009.
Linux servers now represent 16.8 percent of all server revenue, up 2.5 points over 2009.
Linux is eminently better suited to server use than Windows. Why ? Let’s see:
1. Stability
Linux systems are well known for their ability to run for years without failure; in fact, many Linux users have never seen a crash. That’s great for users of every kind, but it’s particularly valuable for small and medium-sized businesses, for which downtime can have disastrous consequences.
Linux also handles a large number of processes running at once much better than Windows does–that’s something, in fact, that tends to degrade Windows’ stability quickly.
Then there’s the need for rebooting. Whereas in Windows configuration changes typically require a reboot–causing inevitable downtime–there’s generally no need to restart Linux. Almost all Linux configuration changes can be done while the system is running and without affecting unrelated services.
Similarly, whereas Windows servers must often be defragmented frequently, that’s all but eliminated on Linux. Let your competitors endure the plentiful downtime that inevitably goes hand-in-hand with Windows; trusty Linux will keep you up and running and serving your customers around the clock.
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