In a survey of IT managers in 12 countries in Asia-Pacific (except Japan), Linux is installed on a tiny six percent of servers, computers that organizations that use to run databases or hold data. But in 2003, this figure set to grow 24 per cent, more than double the rate of its closest competitor, Unix, which is expected to grow nine percent.
Whether Linux can sustain its spurt depends on a couple of issues, said Andrew Chew, a research manager with IDC Asia/Pacific.
"The key now lies with both supporting hardware and Linux vendors who must address adoption fears and dispel ignorance of Linux benefits. Supporting vendors know this and they have been quickening their pace," he said.
In addition, many IT managers are wary of buying into a platform as new and untested as Linux, he said. The survey found that they have concerns about support, availability of applications, training and running costs.
The other big server operating system (OS), Windows, will grow six percent this year, with Novell's Netware following with three percent growth.
Despite the lower growth rate, Microsoft's Windows is still the most popular server OS in the survey, which aggregates numbers from low, medium and high-end servers. More than 50 percent of Asian servers run some flavor of Windows.
On desktops, Windows is even more dominant, with 90 percent of computers running it. This overwhelming control of the desktop won't be easily lost to Linux, said Chew of IDC.
Despite this, the Redmond, Wash-based company won't sit on their laurels, he added.
"Microsoft is not going to take this Linux development lightly. There may yet be a shift in Microsoft's pricing and product positioning to keep Linux at bay," he said.
Chew's observations comes at a time when Microsoft in Asia seems to be making more concessions than ever, prompted by government concerns over Windows security, lobby group pressure over pricing, and the growing influence of Linux.
