In short, while Linux is technically a very competent product, it still lacks the necessary maturity for a mission critical enterprise deployment. It does have a place as solution for small companies who, themselves, occupy cottage industries and where a handshake is all the contract you really ever need; in an enterprise, unfortunately, cost controls and solid policies that put the business first must take precedence and place Linux off the list of consideration, possibly forever, for many enterprises.
OK folks, take a breath, let it out, and now take another. Remember this is a "think" piece and not an offer to write me with your sincere opinion that I am Bill Gates's love slave (it's already been done anyway), I know Bill, and trust me, we aren't that close. Assuming someone doesn't put a bomb under my car I'll be back with another column in a few weeks. The working title for that one is "What's Wrong With Microsoft."
Rob Enderle is a Research Fellow at Forrester Research and his research activities have covered the IT space from vendors like IBM, Dell and Compaq, to technology companies like Intel and Microsoft. Related projects have involved positioning products for the IT market, staffing, training, resolving quality control problems. vendor selection and risk avoidance. Other ongoing projects include studies on vendor satisfaction, market predictions and personal computing product selection.
Rob joined Giga (which was recently acquired by Forrester) in 1995, bringing with him more than 25 years of experience in the high tech industry. Prior to that, he was with the Client Server Software service in Dataquest, where he was responsible for operating system forecasts and related technology trends. He came to Dataquest by way of IBM/ROLM and still longs for the day when he can once again work for a firm that has a "Great Place to Work" department.
Rob spends his free time building custom personal computers, hot rodding his wife's car, and trying to figure out his house, which is fully automated and was recently converted to solar power.
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