In the coming year, you can look forward to Round 12,000 of The Great Operating Systems Shoot-Out. Novell, Red Hat and IBM are pushing Linux, while Microsoft is continuing to do what it does best: sell Windows.
Our reader polls have shown a strong willingness to adopt Linux, with 49 percent of respondents now considering Linux as a viable replacement for Windows in large and small data centers. We expect this change to stoke some competitive fires. With Windows Server 2006, Microsoft will attempt to show you the benefits of integration with other Microsoft products, while the Linux vendors will show you viable point solutions that work, but aren't so integrated.
In places with high exposure to public networks and heavy-duty security requirements, we recommend going with Linux. IT managers who value ease of use and MOM (manager of manager) style management will want to choose Windows. In every case, ask yourself, "What's best for the organization and the applications we run?" and all other things being equal, "What's cheapest for the organization?" And beware of vendor-sponsored analysis. Get independent third-party information about costs. With less at stake than vendor-sponsored data, third-party sources are likely to produce less-biased information.
Server Virtualization and You
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
