Why Linux is a safe bet for business

The decision by Informix, Oracle and Netscape to start developing server software for the Linux operating system (OS) - as well as its rival, Windows NT - brings to a head the conflict between community and commerce in the IT industry.

Linux has the backing of millions of developers, who download and update new applications for it. It is more flexible and responsive than the Microsoft monolith could ever be. But it does lack Microsoft's monumental marketing machine.

Don't dismiss the communal OS as some sort of tech-head initiative. It can work in the commercial world. Already, distributors such as Definite Linux Systems and Psand in the UK offer installation and services for Linux users from £100 to £5,000 per year. Paying specifically for support puts you in control, because you are free to take your custom elsewhere - unlike traditional customer support where you are forced to wait for the vendor of your faulty software.

In any case, most installation problems arise when users attempt to install Linux on a machine that already runs Windows NT or 95. The partitioning is the problem. But as Linux works simultaneously as a desktop operating system and a server, it could replace Windows altogether. It also coordinates printing and file sharing between Macintoshes and Intel-based computers easily - a feat no other operating system can boast.

Above all, Linux is cheap. Because its source code is in the public domain, no one need pay to license it. And users believe it is the most stable version of Unix available.

Until now, Linux's main users have been research institutes, keen to run server software on cheap PC hardware. But recent support from the big players will most likely lead to new software being developed, and better hardware support from Intel-based PCs.

Take a look at www.linux.org for further information, and embrace the ethos of a user-driven product.