Linux gaining momentum in India

Friday, 20 August 2004, 19:30 IST
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MUMBAI: More and more state governments, educational institutions and corporates are exploring the possibility of adopting Linux operating system, industry experts said today. While states like Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal and Maharashtra are already exploiting the advantages of open-source software of Linux, corporates like Life Insurance Corporation have started the migration from SCO-Unix to Linux to take advantage of the cost-effective alternative. "Our estimates suggest that annually, over 25% of servers shipped in India run on the Linux operating system. Similarly, of the total desktops shipped annually, over two lakh desktops run on the Linux operating system," Javed Tapia, director, Red Hat India, the leading Linux and open source provider firm, said today. Red Hat India, which caters to 95% of the Linux market in the country, expects Linux to play a major role in bridging the digital divide in India. "Linux is a cost-effective alternative to proprietary platforms," Tapia said. Agendra Kumar, country manager, Veritas Software, said availability of more and more applications and enhanced enterprise-computing capabilities are making Linux the platform of choice for an increased number of companies of all sizes. "Overall cost, flexibility and ease of customization are the strong-selling points of Linux in these mixed environments," he said.
Source: IANS
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