The future belongs to Linux

The future belongs to Linux, if one is to believe the words of Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin. Well, and Microsoft Windows as well, though certainly not Unix or Solaris.

What caught my interest was the assertion by Zemlin that vendors such as Sun have their strength in ERP applications that are nearing the end of their "seven to 20-year life cycle." Increasingly, these customers are switching over to Linux as they reevaluate their next cycle of investments.

The obvious benefit would be that Linux costs less to run, as with its immense momentum in the web applications space. What I found interesting though, was feedback that there are actually more people certified in Linux than in the Solaris operating system. On the flip side, it is true that Solaris does retain an advantage in certain technical areas, as with its clearly superior hardware integration.

As reported in the New York Times, Sun customers such as Gracenote are more than happy with the performance of Solaris, as opposed to their dissatisfaction with Linux. Still, one cannot help but wonder if the advantage that Solaris has pertains to niche service providers only. With cloud computing growing in popularity in the high-performance arena, is there even space for Solaris left?

Is it Solaris or Linux for your organization? Care to share your story with me? - Paul