IDC: Companies Are Using Linux More and More

Computergram International, August 18, 1999

With parent company International Data Group (IDG) crowing over the success of its second ever Linux World Conference and Expo, International Data Corp has released a report showing that Linux use in corporations is on the rise. When the research firm first investigated the market in 1997, the number of organizations using Linux was statistically insignificant. Two years later, 13% of respondents say they now use the open source operating system. "This is an amazing level of growth," said IDC's operating environments and serverware program director Dan Kusnetzky. "Linux is emerging as a potential competitor to Windows and Unix for some server applications."

In fact Linux adoption may be outpacing the rate of growth of its rivals. The survey respondents say they plan to wait 6 to 18 months before deploying Windows 2000. The number one reason given for the delay was to ensure that Microsoft's enterprise operating system has time to stabilize. "Past issues with first-release operating systems from Microsoft have caused organizations to rein in their Windows 2000 deployment plans," explained research manager William Peterson. "This is not to say that Windows 2000 will not be a success; just the opposite, IDC believes Windows 2000 will succeed - over time."