A decade back, an operating system silently sneaked into the information
landscape. It was hardly noticed, and those who did take cognizance wondered–could
a penguin survive the heat generated by proprietary software vendors? But it
stood the heat, and kickstarted the open-source revolution. The OS created by
Linus Torvalds in 1991, a college student then, to find a free alternate to the
expensive and proprietary UNIX operating system has grown far beyond any market
forecast. According to IDC, the Linux marketshare will expand to 41% by 2005.
Moreover, Linux is also the fastest-growing OS... For instance–it grew by 24%
in 2001. Clearly, Linux has become a force to reckon with. Â
With
all the talk on Linux across the world, the key question that crops up is–Is
Linux really being adopted or poised to become the OS of choice for the
enterprises? Says Gautam Shroff, head of architecture technology consulting
practice at TCS–"We see Linux as a representative of open source in
general and it is becoming an emerging option for medium-scale business
applications. On the server side, many Linux systems are already running, but at
the desktop-end, open source solutions are less popular."
Some key issues that will determine the enterprise readiness of Linux will be
stability, reliability, and scalability–the benchmarks of proprietary
platforms. According to a recent study by Bloor Research, Linux is indeed
enterprise-ready. The study concluded that in terms of scalability, enterprises
looked at the horizontals and verticals. Security of the OS is one area where
vendors and enterprises need to pay more attention. Since the source code is
open, the OS is prone to hacking. But this is not a major issue and can be
countered by building firewalls directly into the Linux kernel. These indicate
that Linux will find many takers from the enterprise segment.Â
Vendor initiativesÂ
Many vendors have jumped onto the Linux bandwagon. Here, the space is
cluttered with all major IT players offering Linux-based solutions. Apart from
solution providers, there are vendors like Red Hat and United Linux (Turbolinux,
Conectiva, SCO and SuSE) who offer their own versions of Linux, apart from the
big developers who usually tie up with vendors. For instance, Red Hat sells
packaged Linux OS. The difference between free Linux and the priced version is
that the kernel and the other aspects of the priced version of the OS are tested
for performance and reliability. On the other side of the spectrum, there are
players like IBM and Oracle, offering a slew of Linux-based solutions based on
packaged Linux OS. IBM, for one, is one of the first companies to realize the
potential of Linux. IBM products like WebSphere, DB2, Tivoli and Lotus are
already compatible with Linux.Â
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Says Sandeep Menon, Linux business manager, IBM (Asean), "Linux is an
integral part of IBM’s e-business corporate strategy. We looked at it a little
differently from companies that think of it as an end in itself. We see Linux as
the platform that integrates with other components to produce vibrant new
solution stacks. To this end, we have integrated it as part of our mainstream
business. We strongly believe in delivering the best of choices to our
customers, and in helping them choose the right solution based on their unique
requirements. Linux now forms an important component of that strategy."
Having pitched Linux as the preferred platform for the enterprise, IBM’s
early-mover advantage puts it in a comfortable position in offering a slew of
Linux based enterprise solutions.
"Open |
TV |
With Big Blue empowering Linux, can database major Oracle be far behind? It
is not surprising to know then, that Oracle is the first company to launch its
commercial database on Linux. Today, all major Oracle products–its 9i
database, application server, Oracle Developer and eBusiness suites–are
available on Linux. Says Shekhar Dasgupta, managing director of Oracle India–"Oracle
has invested heavily in Linux in the past. Our latest version of the 9i database
software can run on a cluster of Linux servers. 9i Linux is a major milestone,
for it allows enterprises to manage multiple servers and very large databases
with relative ease. The best thing is that customers are getting the same
enterprise-class features available in proprietary solutions at the lowest cost
in terms of hardware and platform. We believe that Linux is more attractive
today than ever before..."
Meanwhile, Sun Microsystems, a Unix supporter all the while, is also taking
firm steps on the open source road. The company, despite having created an
OS-independent language like Java, is a very late entrant in the open-source
space. But with open source gaining ground the world over, the company has
adopted an aggressive stand. Sun has put in place a three-pronged Linux
strategy. While in India, the Sun LX series has only been soft-launched, in
time, the company intends to forge partnerships with Indian ISPs. Moreover, Sun
has adopted a totally new approach in the Linux space–unlike other
companies, it does not take sides with any particular Linux vendor. Instead, it
has come out with its own Linux-based solutions.
"Today, |
Shekhar |
"Developing our own brand of Linux puts us in a advantageous position.
Because we know what we are providing, hence support becomes easier as there are
no third parties involved here", says KP Unnikrishnan, country head
(marketing), Sun Microsystems India.
Closer home, TCS is one Indian company that is doing pioneering work on
Linux. It also works in concert with IBM, Oracle and other major vendors on
various Linux initiatives. The company, at its state-of-the-art Sholinganallur
facility near Chennai, has put in place a Linux competency center. Here it
carries out benchmarking and load and stress testing of various Linux
applications. The center has developed an application called Webstore, which
runs on WebSphere and uses Oracle on Linux.
This application is being used for training performance-engineering
consultants within the company and has so far been tested for a 1,000 concurrent
users. The company also plans to port its UNIX-based application development and
re-engineering products like Mastercraft and Revine to the Linux platform.
"Linux |
Sandeep |
Advantage enterprise
For over three decades, enterprise IT managers were looking for a platform
that’s stable and at the same time, reduces the total cost of ownership. The
growing awareness in the enterprise segment about Linux will usher in many
changes in the MIS policies of enterprises. However, analysts’ caution that
while Linux may have come of age, it may not yet be fully ready for all
enterprise applications. Reflecting on this, a Meta Group study says enterprises
need to initially build Linux-based skill-sets in-house. This will enable them
to judge the merits of the OS from a usability perspective. Despite the advice
to tread cautiously, major vendors are bullish about enterprise Linux adoption.
Says Menon, "We believe that Linux has emerged as a significant alternative
option in the enterprise space. It meets the critical enterprise demands–stability,
robustness, security and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, the highest degrees of
enterprise-class support are also available. "In fact, the beauty of Linux
is that it integrates some of the strengths of both NT and UNIX to produce the
perfect alternate that is just right for customers."
"Open source will remain an option for corporates and governments. Right
now, the development centers around medium-scale applications, but as the
adoption rate increases, more applications of mission-critical nature will come
into the Linux fold," says TV Kamalakkannan, TCS-IBM relationship
manager. However, the biggest driver that is going to accelerate enterprise
Linux adoption will come from total cost of ownership (TCO) of the OS. Given the
global economic recession, enterprise IT buying has been sluggish. Given that,
Linux delivers a significantly lower TCO since proprietary platform has issues
like licensing, hardware compatibility and version upgrades. These are
relatively easier and cheaper in an open-source IT architecture based on Linux.
Indian opportunity
In the Indian context, increasing Linux adoption by enterprises brings with
it immense opportunities. A recent Nasscom study says–"Influenced by the
usage of Linux by large IT users in the overseas market, and cajoled by its
cost-reduction and bottomline benefits, Indian corporates, government and public
sector outfits are showing a willingness to try Linux. Though Linux is poised to
invade the enterprise domain, there are still some concerns in the realm of
support regarding Linux applications." While actual support issues will
take a while to get identified as enterprise Linux deployments have not yet
reached a critical mass, this puts the Linux support issue in a very important
service domain. Keeping this in perspective, an IDC report suggests that the
Linux support service market is expected to grow to $285 million by 2004. While
this is a small slice, bigger opportunities will come from areas like
Linux-based embedded systems, animation services, open-source coding, testing
and reliability services. Many analysts believe that Linux will become a major
vertical practice for Indian software service players.
Linux: Uppers |
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Vendor Independence: Open source software is not owned or controlled by any one developer or vendor. Hence enterprises can retain the choice of deciding on support and development partners either from a large pool of in-house or external resources. | |
Cross platform Interoperability: Open source programs inherently support interoperability, since their interfaces are, by definition, available for all to see and use. |
|
Reliability and efficiency: It is now widely accepted that Linux can deliver levels of stability, reliability, and efficiency that are higher that many other traditional operating systems. | |
Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Linux delivers significantly lower TCO through reduced or no licensing fees. An IDC study found that companies that migrated from UNIX/RISC could save up to 45 —85% of their infrastructure costs. For instance amazon.com saved $17 mn after migrating majority of its applications to Red Hat Linux. |
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Downers | |
Needs standardization: With so many players in the fray, enterprises are confused by the question–which package of Linux to buy or implement? | |
Decision-making: When a CIO opts for Linux, despite the merits, convincing the management will not be easy. | |
Server centric: Linux usage as of now is very much centered on enterprise computing, hence needs to be popularized in the desktop space | |
Support & Skills: Organizations have to evolve in-house skill sets to address many functional problems that may arise post-implementation of Linux-based solutions. |
For Indian companies like TCS, Linux is already a major vertical practice.
The company has been working on IBM’s flagship Linux S/390 server platform
since its launch in the late 1990s. TCS has also installed Red Hat and SuSE
Linux. Given all this, TCS is perhaps one of the very few Indian companies with
a rich Linux experience. The company has developed a system administration tool
in Linux, which provides an interactive environment for creating user IDs,
user-specific reports and monitoring groups. The tool encapsulates the system
administration knowledge and provides complex functionality through a
user-friendly interface.
Meanwhile, it is interesting to note that Linux has also invaded the special
effects space. For instance, part of the special effects in motion pictures like
Titanic and Lord of the Rings was created on Linux. The animation market offers
immense potential to large companies and small developer groups who can now
offer special effects services to television and regional movies. Analysts are
optimistic that Linux will be adopted in a big way by the global and Indian
entertainment industry.Â
To sum it up, Linux is set to redefine the enterprise IT market. That does
not necessarily mean the end for proprietary platforms. What open source
delivers is more freedom of choice for enterprise IT managers–this enables
them to evolve a flexible IT architecture, paving way for a healthy return on
their IT investments. And Linux is the crucial link in that value chain.
G Shrikanth
With inputs from TV Mahalingam in Bangalore, R Sreekumar (CNS) in
Thiruvananthapuram and Zia Askari (CNS) in Hyderabad
Linux in govt–Miles to go
In India there are around 2,450 government departments spread across 170,000
sites. Automating these departments calls for around 26,500 applications. What
it means is a huge opportunity for automation. While some government departments
have embraced IT, many still operate in a rudimentary fashion, depending on
manual processes. The reason some departments have adopted IT and some have not
are due to the economies of scale involved in any major IT implementation. And
whatever automation has happened so far was mainly on proprietary platforms. For
instance, Karnataka government departments literally run on Microsoft OS. As Dr
Ramana Reddy, director–IT and Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka puts it,
" Microsoft has been deployed on 90% of the desktops in all government
departments. In terms of open source like Linux, we have not yet made any
significant strides." So what deters government departments from adopting
Linux? Probably one answer could be the lack of awareness on the benefits of an
open source solution.
But things seem to be gradually changing. Andhra Pradesh, the most IT savvy
state in India has started using Linux in one of its government departments. The
government has automated the state secretariat by using a solution called
Secretariat Knowledge Information Management System (SKIMS). The solution was
designed on the Oracle Linux database. SKIMS delivers an electronic workplace by
creating an office management system that cuts down duplication of work and
enhances productivity by providing a policy based processing. Says C S Rao,
joint director, eGovernance, GoAp, " SKIMS, though a small application gave
us the opportunity to test Linux in practical terms. While basing the solution
on Linux did usher in cost benefits, we did not initiate any other Linux
deployments. The reason for our cautious approach is mainly due to some conflict
in the Linux domain controllers in the solution," adds Rao.
The drawback in one system cannot be the primary reason for not initiating
other Linux implementations in AP. The reason many believe is one of perception
within the government that proprietary is more reliable than open source.
Moreover, Linux compatibility and interoperability issues can be solved
effectively by writing appropriate codes that often fixes the issue. Let us
sample what Kerala has done. For instance, the Thiruvananthapuram Telephones
secondary switching area of BSNL has chosen Linux for its online telephone bill
payment solution, which it had recently implemented. Comments Mathew George,
general manager-finance, Kerala Circle Telecom, " The solution apart from
providing a user friendly interface for payment of bills also allows users to
download and print unpaid bills as well view their bills for the past two
years."
A local company–Linuxense Information System, a startup that provides open
source software solutions, developed the solution. According to Anil Kumar, vice
president, Operations, Linuxense, "Absolutely no proprietary software has
been used for running this web based solutions at BSNL here. It runs completely
on open source. The operating system used is GNU/Linux, known for its stability,
scalability, and security, and impregnability to virus attacks. The database
server runs on PostgreSQL, while the web server runs on Apache." Buoyed by
such stories, the Tamilnadu government has set up a committee to shortlist on
the kind of operating systems and applications government departments should
adopt.
In a developing geography like India, Linux offers immense value proposition
to the government departments. But the absence of a powerful lobby for Linux is
a major deterrent.