Linux is the open source operating system which currently powers most of the servers worldwide from a percentage point of view. Its appeal comes from the fact that it's free (there are enterprise offerings like Red Hat which offer professional customer service too) and has a robust set of programs that go with it. Most of these programs are free as well.

The Web Server that most Linux distributions run is called Apache and its closest rival is Microsoft's IIS servers. Actually the version of the Operating System may differ. The important aspect is that they're based on the Linux kernel. Linux is perceived as being less vulnerable to viruses and other forms of malware. Also, bugs are fixed rapidly by the online community.

Another benefit is that the hardware requirements for Linux have traditionally been lower than those required for a Windows Server and this is a big deal for some enterprises. When it comes to hardware support for Servers, Linux doesn't face the same issues that desktop computers face - namely problems with drivers. Linux is so widespread on Servers that every hardware manufacturer has released Linux drivers for server

Linux is also open source and is supported by a large community. It has been noted several times that the support one finds on these forums often outdoes the support found with other professional customer support. There are also several Linux based operating systems for which customer support is sold. Examples are Red Hat and the Ubuntu Server.

Because Linux is so customizable, it has been used for many devices that don't have established operating system vendors such as hand helds, supercomputers, or any other non standardized or established hardware. Due to the large percentage of servers that run Linux, almost all server hardware includes Linux drivers.

Conversely, because of the widespread adoption of Linux on servers, most commercial server programs can run on a Linux OS.

At Southside Technology we specialise in helping you choose, deploy and maintain the right kind of server for your business. It's a matter of choosing which server OS is the most appropriate in the context of the job that needs to be done, based on factors such as cost, performance, security and application usage. We can help you decide, simply contact us for more info.