L i n u x Ad o p t i o n i n a Gl o bal Reces s ion

L i n u x   Ad o p t i o n   i n   a  Gl o bal  Reces s ion
Sponsored by: Novell
Al Gillen Brett Waldman
March 2009
IDC OPI NION
Economic downturns have a tendency to accelerate emerging technologies, boost the
adoption of effective solutions, and punish solutions that are not cost competitive or
that are out of synch with industry trends. IDC research finds that Linux users are
clearly satisfied about their choice to deploy Linux, and during trying economic times,
the potential for those same customers to ramp up their deployment of Linux is
strong. Highlights of our research include:
! Given the severity of the current economic downturn and the potential for a
lengthy and gradual recovery that will likely be measured in terms of years rather
than months, Linux is in a desirable competitive position to emerge from this
downturn as a stronger solution with a key position in the industry.
! A worldwide survey by IDC capturing data on usage plans for and satisfaction
levels with Linux server operating systems finds that Linux customers are highly
satisfied and are ready to deploy additional Linux instances as a direct action in
response to budget concerns or budgetary reductions being imposed by corporate
management. While budget concerns sweep across all geographies and business
verticals, North American businesses are among the most pessimistic when it
comes to increased IT spending or even spending at prior-year levels.
! Linux distributions are entering a new phase of maturity today, with a second
generation of major releases based on the 2.6.x Linux kernel emerging from the
industry’s top vendors. These products feature more mature management tools,
integrated virtualization, and virtualization-compatible use rights, and today they
also boast a larger application portfolio and better interoperability with other
mainstream corporate IT solutions.
! While Linux client operating systems have been the shining hope of opportunity
for Linux for much of the past decade, Linux has failed to successfully capture a
substantial share of traditional client deployments. However, the emergence of
small portable form factors (commonly referred to as netbooks), the growing
catalog of Web-based applications, the shift of growth opportunities away from
mature markets to emerging geographies, OEMs increasingly preloading Linux
on devices, and the continued antipiracy efforts by Microsoft help create a more
favorable climate for Linux.
! Linux has enjoyed significant commercial success on server platforms, and today
it is aptly categorized as the most widely available server operating system the
industry has ever seen, with availability aboard every major architecture. Linux is
also the operating system of choice for many cloud providers and ISVs delivering
software appliances today.
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2 #217280 ©2009 IDC
METHODOLOGY  
For this research project, IDC surveyed 330 organizations in the following regions:
! Western Europe — 78
! Americas — 118
! Asia/Pacific — 134
The 330 respondents were segmented by the following industries:
! Manufacturing — 90
! Financial services — 80
! Retail — 80
! Government — 54
! Other — 26
Participating organizations had to have more than 100 employees; the survey was
looking primarily for IT decision makers familiar with Linux usage and adoption plans.
Among the survey participants, 55% had Linux server operating systems in use, 39%
had Unix server operating systems in use, and 97% had Windows server operating
systems in use. Typical respondents had titles such as CIO, VP IT, IT Director,
IT Manager, IT Staff, and IT Consultant. Respondents were prescreened via
demographics screeners and completed the survey online. Novell was not involved in
recruiting, and respondents did not need to be Novell customers.
I N  THIS WHI TE PAPER
This IDC White Paper presents the results of an IDC survey that measures the
receptiveness to Linux and takes into consideration changing views driven by the
disruptive economic environment that businesses face today.
SITUATION OVERV IEW
T h e   I m p a c t   o f   t h e   E c o n omy   o n   L i n u x 
Linux has been a commercially viable solution for much of the past decade and has
battled its way into the number 2 position in the industry on the basis of units
deployed on an annual basis. In the process, Linux has passed Unix server operating
environments and today presents an alternative solution that has been adopted not
only by Unix shops that are expanding their server mix or are migrating to the x86
architecture but also by Windows shops that have a need for the workloads that are
supported by Linux.
Linux arguably became viable in a commercially supported format in the late 1990s
and saw growing corporate adoption that started in that era; it has continued to ramp
ever since. The timing of Linux’s emergence as a mainstream solution was fortuitous,
©2009 IDC #217280 3
as the product was able to ride the tail end of the year 2000 date change investments
and parallel the dot-com boom.
The subsequent recession caused in part by the dot-com bust led to a retrenchment
on the part of many organizations, and part of that retrenchment included a shift to
favor more standardized architectures, including the x86 server platform, and x86-
compatible operating systems such as Linux.
IDC has found that economic downturns lead to a reduction in spending, but not
necessarily an equal-sized reduction in deployments. In fact, past recessions have
helped to accelerate platform shifts that were in progress. During the 2001–2002
recession, the industry saw a shift away from RISC-based Unix servers and toward
x86 server architectures. Linux was a beneficiary of that transition, and that downturn
set the stage for the sustained growth of Linux server operating system deployments
during much of the current decade.
The current economic crisis is likely to help nudge that adoption forward once again,
given the low-cost nature of Linux and the accompanying availability of no-cost Linux
solutions. We believe the current economic crisis will also have a net positive impact
on the use of virtualization software, which will end up hosting more guest operating
systems, including Linux server operating systems.
As was the case in the 2001–2002 time period, we believe that other related factors
will also help impact the adoption and deployment of Linux through the course of
this economic recovery. First, the increase in the availability of and the interest in
ultra-low-cost servers places downward pressure on traditional operating environment
solutions. This trend is not all positive for Linux server operating system vendors; in
fact, it may lead to an affinity of nonpaid Linux solutions. On the client side of the
market, growing low-cost, small form factor products such as notebooks are leading
to new opportunities for Linux.
T h e   E c o n omi c   Imp a c t   a n d   I T   B u d g e t s 
The IDC survey found that the economic climate has had the largest negative effect
on the budget for companies in the Americas and in the government and financial
services sectors. Overall, 62% of respondents said that their budget has been cut or
that they are moving more cautiously and investing only where needed.
From this survey, IDC has also found that the economic climate has a direct effect on
how users are planning to deploy Linux on both the server and the client. As
illustrated in Figure 1, IDC found that 53% of respondents are planning to increase
adoption of Linux on the server and 48% are planning to increase adoption of Linux
on the client as a direct result of the economic climate. While end-user projections
can be overly optimistic, the direction and intent noted here are strong indicators that
these users believe that Linux is a key part of their IT deployments moving forward.
From a regional perspective, Asia/Pacific is the most bullish on increasing Linux
adoption, as 73% of respondents said they would increase adoption of Linux
deployments on the server and 70% said they would increase adoption of Linux on
the client. In the Americas, 66% said they are evaluating or have already decided to
4 #217280 ©2009 IDC
increase adoption of Linux on the desktop and 67% said they are evaluating or have
already decided to increase adoption of Linux on the server. From a vertical
perspective, retail is the most aggressive sector in terms of planning to increase
adoption of Linux on the client (63%) and on the server (69%). Financial services and
manufacturing are not far behind, but both of these verticals also have a higher
percentage than retail of users evaluating now for both client and server.
F I G U R E   1 
Inc r e a s ing  L inux  Adopt ion Due   to  E conomi c  Cl ima t e 
Q.  Do you plan to increase your adoption of Linux on servers in 2009 as a result of the
economic climate and a focus on cost containment?
Q.  Do you plan to increase your adoption of Linux on clients in 2009 as a result of the
economic climate and a focus on cost containment?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Servers Clients
(% of respondents)
No
Evaluating now
Yes
n = 330
Source: IDC’s Linux Usage Survey, February 2009
The receptiveness of these current Linux users to deploy additional Linux, as
illustrated in Figure 1, dovetails into the adoption trends IDC has seen over the past
several years, where Linux server operating system growth has led the industry on
the measure of both new subscriptions and revenue associated with those
subscriptions. In parallel, IDC has seen a movement to increasingly favor the use of
Linux as a platform to support more mission-critical workloads on all architectures
where Linux is used, particularly aboard System z, HP Business Critical Server
systems, and the modern 64-bit x86 server solutions.
©2009 IDC #217280 5
FUTURE OUTLOOK 
S e r v e r   O p e r a t i n g   E n v i r o nme n t s 
A business can choose a server operating system for a multitude of reasons. With
this in mind, IDC asked 330 users worldwide what their top 3 considerations are for
acquiring a new server operating environment. Overwhelmingly, as seen in Figure 2,
users cited security/reliability, application availability, and ongoing support costs as
their top priorities.
F I G U R E   2 
Top  3  Con siderat ion s w it h   a N ew  Ser ver  OS Sel e c t ion 
Q.  What are your top 3 considerations when choosing a server operating system? (Select three.)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Interoperability
Vendor support
Acquisition cost
Administrative, development skills
Ongoing support costs
Availability of applications
Security/reliability
(% of respondents)
n = 330
Source: IDC’s Linux Usage Survey, February 2009
Analyzing the results of this data by vertical, we find very little difference among the
different sectors for the top 3 responses. However, what is interesting is that
manufacturers seem to be most sensitive to acquisition costs. In fact, data shows this
industry vertical cites up-front acquisition costs as the fourth most important consideration.
By contrast, retail and government sectors both cited the next most important
consideration as in-house administration and development skills, showing their need to
support infrastructure using on-staff resources. For financial services respondents, after
the top 3 considerations, the response rate for the remaining choices was significantly
lower, indicating that the value proposition of Linux is seen as primarily being about the
right applications and the right long-term cost of ownership in a secure environment.
When survey participants were asked what factors would accelerate new
deployments of Linux, they identified reducing costs and stronger interoperability with
Windows or other operating systems as the top 2 reasons (see Figure 3). This finding
is certainly not surprising given the turbulent economic times and the fact that most
IT shops run multiple operating systems in their environment.
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F I G U R E   3 
Rea sons   to  A c c el e r a t e   L i nux  D e p loymen t s 
Q.  Which of the following reasons would encourage you to consider new deployments or
accelerate your deployments of Linux on servers? (Select up to three.)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Availability of
existing
administrative skills
Better
reliability/availability
than other OS
More flexible, lowercost
virtual solution
Increased availability
of applications on
Linux
Higher-quality
technical support
Stronger
interoperability with
Windows/other OSs
Reduce costs
(% of respondents)
Total
Manufacturing
Financial services
Retail
Government
Other
n = 330
Source: IDC’s Linux Usage Survey, February 2009
©2009 IDC #217280 7
Overall, the retail industry showed the greatest potential for acceleration in Linux
adoption; 61% of respondents in the retail sector said they strongly agree with the
expectation for planning an increase on the desktop, and 59% of retailers described
Linux as the preferred operating system of choice on the server. The government
sector lagged.
In addition, survey participants confirmed that Linux is increasingly seen as a platform
for key business applications. A total of 51% of survey participants gave an
"important" or "very important" rating to the statement that Linux is increasingly being
used for mission-critical workloads.
V i r t u a l i z a t i o n 
Virtualization has been one of the hottest, most talked-about trends in IT over the past
several years. Adoption is ramping up in the industry; the current run rate of new x86
servers deployed with virtualization software increased to 14.8% of shipments as of
the third quarter of 2008.
IDC believes that just as the 2001–2002 recession had a positive impact on Linux
server operating system adoption, the current economic malaise also will have a direct
positive impact on adoption of and deployment of virtualization software. Going forward,
given the widespread availability of stable and well-performing Xen-based hypervisors
incorporated into commercial Linux distributions, we expect that 2009 and 2010 will be
important adoption and deployment years for hypervisors in Linux deployments.
Figure 4 shows the top 2 considerations cited by survey participants when evaluating
hypervisor solutions.
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F I G U R E   4 
Top Con si derat ion s  o f   V i r tual i zat ion  Sof tware
Q.  What are your top 2 considerations when choosing a virtualization software solution? (Choose two.)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Total cost of
ownership
Support for guest
operating systems
Management
capabilities
Performance
(% of respondents)
Manufacturing (n = 70)
Financial services (n = 50)
Retail (n = 67)
Government (n = 34)
Source: IDC’s Linux Usage Survey, February 2009
Nearly half of the survey participants stated that moving to virtualization is
accelerating their adoption of Linux. Eighty-eight percent of respondents plan to
evaluate, deploy, or increase their use of virtualization software within Linux operating
systems over the next 12–24 months.
C l i e n t   O p e r a t i n g   E n v i r o n m e n t s 
The survey also captured information about the considerations around and adoption
plans related to Linux client operating systems. Figure 5 illustrates the top 3
considerations that survey participants cited when choosing a client operating system
(not specific to Linux). As shown in Figure 5, top factors are security/reliability,
usability/familiarity, and application and peripheral support.
©2009 IDC #217280 9
F I G U R E   5 
Top  3  C on siderat ion s  for  a  C l i ent  OS
Q.  What are your top 3 considerations when choosing a client operating system? (Select three.)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Quality of vendor’s customer support
Available preinstalled
Up-front acquisition cost
Ongoing support costs
Interoperates in my current
environment
In-house administrative, development,
or support skills
Supports all key applications,
peripherals, networks
Usability and familiarity for end users
Security/reliability
(% of respondents)
Source: IDC’s Linux Usage Survey, February 2009
While security has never been widely perceived as a drawback for Linux, this operating
system also historically has lacked the application or peripheral support that end users
demand. This has led to Linux on the client not achieving the penetration that many of
its proponents expected. This lack of installed base also has had the side effect of
making the operating system less of a potential target for malware authors.
Overall, 50% of survey participants agreed with or strongly agreed with the statement
that they plan to accelerate adoption of Linux on the desktop, especially for basic
office functions, technical workstation users, and higher education/K–12.
In the past 12–18 months, IDC has observed several trends in the market that help
make the deployment of a Linux client operating system more favorable to increased
adoption, including:
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! Low-cost,  simple  functionality  notebooks  known  as  netbooks. This form
factor has driven down hardware costs, placing increased pressure on operating
systems vendors to deliver low-cost solutions. This phenomenon plays well for
Linux, since Linux client operating systems already are very competitively priced
in the industry.
! Increased consumption  of Web-based applications.  As Web-based
applications become increasingly viable and more broadly available, the need for a
traditional complete desktop operating system becomes less critical in geographies
where workers have access to reliable broadband service where needed.
! Increased  price  sensitivity  to  desktops  due  to  economic  conditions. The
most direct impact of the economic downturn is that budgets are flat or smaller,
making it more difficult to justify acquisition of new solutions that require
significant up-front investments. This is partly why OEMs have increasingly
offered Linux as a preload option in the past 12–18 months. However, IDC
cautions customers not only to think about up-front acquisition costs but also to
consider long-term operational costs (which are dependent upon the
sophistication of management solutions in place).
CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES
C h a l l e n g e s 
Linux is competing in a hostile marketplace against well-entrenched, well-respected
competitors. Therefore, Linux must overcome the following challenges to be
successful:
! Windows as a competitor. The Windows platform holds a majority position both
on PCs and on x86 server hardware, and it is the single most pervasive
competitor and largest threat to the long-term growth potential for Linux. For
many customers, Linux is not seen as a viable alternative to existing installed
Windows solutions.
! Packaged  application  portfolio. The portfolio of applications for Linux
continues to improve, and today the number of business applications for
Linux server operating environments is ramping steadily. However, Linux
application portfolio choices continue to be considerably more limited than
Windows or Unix application portfolio choices. On the client platform, many
personal productivity applications exist today to replicate functionality found on
the Windows client platform, but many business applications still are not
available for client-side Linux.
! Stickiness  of  custom  applications. Many customers, particularly those using
Unix, typically have a substantial installed base of custom applications and will
weigh the benefit of a migration to Linux against the risk of the migration, the cost
of the migration, and the length of payback for the migration. Unless the payback
can be justified in an acceptably short period of time, the argument to "stay the
course" is hard to fight.
©2009 IDC #217280 11
! Competitive  Linux  distributions. SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 is the second
largest server-side Linux distribution on a worldwide basis. Novell faces
continued competition from other distributions, including Red Hat. Nonpaid Linux
represents a separate, but equally difficult challenge.
! Other  competitive  solutions  including  Unix on RISC and Solaris on x86,
which remain viable as alternatives to Linux on several different architectures.
O p p o r t u n i t i e s 
Linux has been widely seen as heir apparent to meaningful portions of the platform
opportunity during current and future generations of industry deployments. Linux has
substantial opportunities, including:
! Linux  as  a  Unix  replacement. Linux is widely deployed today, filling roles
previously held by Unix servers. IDC believes that substantial opportunity
remains for existing Unix installations to be replaced by new systems running
either Linux or x86 Unix, an opportunity that Linux is well-positioned to win.
! Nonpaid  Linux.  The dynamics of the Linux market have always included an
enormous component of nonpaid Linux as part of the overall ecosystem. This
market segment is important because it constitutes a large pool of receptive
customers that just need to be converted to a different distribution — customers
that are unlikely to move off Linux to an alternative operating system solution.
! Pervasiveness  of  Linux. The porting of Linux to virtually every modern
computer architecture makes Linux a standardization layer that offers both an
attraction and a strong value proposition for customers. Linux has become the
next-generation application platform for CISC and for some RISC architectures,
bringing developer skills to platforms that no longer have strong developer
communities.
! Growth  of  business  workloads  on  Linux. The continued movement of
business applications to the Linux platform points to a healthy future for Linux in
commercial deployments.
! Completeness of the SUSE Linux Enterprise portfolio. Novell has invested in
a full portfolio of products based on SUSE Linux Enterprise 11, including client,
server, and software appliances.
! Software  appliances. This relatively new form factor integrates a traditional
software stack into a single composite package and includes integrated life-cycle
management. Like a traditional hardware appliance, the software appliance
provides the end user with only a single stream of patches for the entire entity,
thus reducing time and money spent on integrating disparate patches from
different vendors. Linux will be the operating system of choice due its flexible
licensing, low costs, and modular architecture. Novell has an opportunity to be a
leader in this emerging market with its SUSE Linux Appliance program.
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CONCLUSION 
The economic downturn of 2009 will be a demarcation line that is likely to highlight an
acceleration toward adoption of standardized architecture across the industry. The
standardization layers will include standardized blade chassis, x86 servers, Linux,
and virtualization software.
Survey data captured by IDC shows that current Linux users are deploying additional
Linux instances as a proactive response to budgetary limitations. IDC research finds
that Linux users are clearly satisfied with their choice to deploy Linux, and during
trying economic times, the potential for those same customers to ramp up their
deployment of Linux is strong.
With next-generation Linux distributions such as SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 coming to
market soon, maturing management tools, integrated virtualization, and virtualizationcompatible
use rights, customers have never had a better range of Linux-based
solutions.
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