Enterprise Linux is a secure operating system for file servers, database servers, email servers and web servers. Although Linux can be used for company desktops, it is most usually reserved for servers. The advantages of Linux for servers are several.

First, Linux servers are very secure in that the kernel operating system is well protected from change. Windows servers, although very easy to update aren't as well protected as Linux and Unix based kernels. What this means is that users and applications can't alter the operating system kernel or core without first authenticating as the system administrator. Additionally, tools to compile the kernels are often kept off the production servers altogether.

Second, Linux and Unix viruses are very rare and in the rare event there is one, the viruses can't do much in the way of damage. Contrast that to Windows based servers. The second Tuesday of each month is known as patch Tuesday to system administrators everywhere as this is the day windows patches are released for the month.

Third, linux and Unix servers can go a year or more without ever needing to be as much as rebooted. This leads to a very high uptime ratio nearing 100% for mail and web servers especially where his level of uptime is desired.

Fourth, many Linux and Unix distributions are either very reasonable or entirely free and most do not need client connection licenses at all. Contrast that with Windows servers where CAL's of client access licenses can cost many times what the actual server operating system costs.

Is Linux and Unix for your company? It could be, with these caveats. These systems are very stable, but need to be maintained by professionals with explicit knowledge of these systems. Contrast that with Windows systems where many tasks are simply ran with task wizards. But this ease of use comes at a price of frequent updates and software patching. Additionally, Windows servers are often rebooted as a routine maintenance task in many server rooms. 

As an example, Windows servers are needed to run Exchange which is the server side component to Outlook. There are some nice features to doing this such as shared calendars. This comes at a cost of Windows server licensing as well as the cost of Outlook clients as well as connector licenses. It is well worth it when desired, but it can add up. However, you can also deploy enterprise linux with open source Zimbra at no cost at all for software. For this you will need an IT professional who knows how to set this up for you. After it is setup, that server will run generally without the fear of viruses. A good thing for a mail server.

These are some of the considerations. We have experience migrating web, email, fax, database. and file servers from Windows based servers to Linux and Unix based servers. But, with all the advantages it isn't for every company. To find out if this could be for your company, call us at 813-748-3055.