SMB Linux Use on the Rise (eWeek) [LWN.net]

eWeek's looks at the increasing use of Linux by small and midsize businesses. "A growing number of the estimated 5.8 million small and midsize businesses in the United States are buying Linux solutions, mostly from solution providers, according to research from AMI-Partners. Linux, according to AMI, of New York, is benefiting from a growing acceptance of open-source products overall. "While Linux is becoming more mainstream, our research shows that SMBs are more interested in open-source solutions than Linux per se," said Abhijeet Rane, AMI's senior vice president. "The SMBs buying Linux solutions are mostly buying apps that operate in the background of a business.""

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SMB Linux Use on the Rise (eWeek)

Posted Sep 29, 2006 5:22 UTC (Fri) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link]

Why do you think they tried to change it's name to CIFS?

Still though. This is good news. The Small, Medium, Business market is one of, if not the most important group of users for Linux at this moment in time.

For a few reasons..

* At least in the US small business is the number #1 business. They control the majority of the workforce and do the majority of the work. (as I understand it). So in the server arena it is the largest market out there, even if they don't amount to nearly as much as larger corporations in terms of dollar amount.

* It raises the exposure level of Linux quite a bit. Since Small businesses have most of the work force this means that Linux adoption rates will produce a increase in demand for the workforce and thus increase thus schools will follow along with increasing the amount of Linux taught to would-be administrators. Then these people, even if they go to work for a Windows using shop, will have exposure to Linux and make adoption by them more likely.

* Today small and medium businesses become tomorrow's big businesses.

SMB Linux Use on the Rise (eWeek)

Posted Sep 29, 2006 12:21 UTC (Fri) by rfunk (subscriber, #4054) [Link]

Heh, I did worse than that - I was thinking SMP, as in multiple
processors.

SMB Linux Use on the Rise (eWeek)

Posted Sep 29, 2006 12:35 UTC (Fri) by smitty_one_each (subscriber, #28989) [Link]

>The TLA namespace is just too crowded.
Thus was born the Extented TLA, or ETLA.
Some people trying for a DOD contract took the ETLA and made it Joint, resulting in a JETLA.
Inflation came along, and we needed to manage JETLAs via a Group key.
Feelings of JETLAG came as no surprise.

SMB Linux Use on the Rise (eWeek)

Posted Sep 29, 2006 15:36 UTC (Fri) by zotz (guest, #26117) [Link]

> Feelings of JETLAG came as no surprise.

You, sir, are topp!

all the best,

drew
http://musicians.opensrc.org/DrewRoberts

SMB Linux Use on the Rise (eWeek)

Posted Sep 29, 2006 9:00 UTC (Fri) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link]

There was a couple things in the article that I found amusing. The parts about "Not having to sell Linux" comments.

I was listenning to the latest TLLTS podcast and the 2nd interview they did was with a guy that deployed telephony solutions for people around his city. The guy is a obvious Linux fan.

So in his example when talking to his customers he finds out what their requirements are, what they'd like to see, and that sort of thing. Once he nails down what they want then he says something along the lines of:
"I have 2 choices, They both accomplish the same tasks, but the first solution costs 1800 dollars, the second one is going to cost you 900 dollars".

Of course the first thing they ask is so why the second one is so much cheaper.
"Well the second one is using this open source thing called Asterix. It'll do everything you want and more".

Then they may say which does he recommend, and obviously he'll say the Asterix.. Then they are sold. They'll never ask about asterix or linux or be confused about features or anything like that. It's cheaper. It's better. That's all they care about.

More or less. Thought it was funny.