Research from IDC indicates a 45-80 percent lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for Linux on the Intel architecture over RISC/Unix environments. The result is from a study funded by none other than Red Hat. The two companies (Red Hat and IDC) are holding a webcast to discuss the findings at 10:00 EST, Wednesday, January 23, 2002. Presenters will include Al Gillen, International Data Corporation (IDC) Research Director, System Software; and Michael Tiemann, Red Hat Chief Technology Officer.

“The Role of Linux in Reducing the Cost of Enterprise Computing” was produced by IDC Analysts Dan Kusnetzky, Al Gillen and Scott McLarnon and, as mentioned, sponsored by Red Hat. Data for the study was collected through 142 telephone interviews during June-September 2001, with companies of 100 employees or more deploying Linux on the Intel platform and Unix on RISC-based systems.

According to the study, Linux has emerged as a viable and cost-effective alternative to Unix for enterprise computing on Internet/intranet/extranet and collaberative workloads.

“Associated costs with Linux are not only dramatically lower for the hardware and software, as you might expect, but also comparable or lower for staffing — which you might not expect,” concludes the study. “With staffing typically the largest component of overall IT solution
costs, this finding has important implications for IT planning. In summary, Linux provides a lower-cost platform for these workloads, especially in the first year of deployment. For enterprises with the right mix of requirements and skill, Linux offers tremendous potential to lower costs associated with supporting application workloads.”

To sign up for the Webcast and to download the IDC white paper, visit Red Hat's website.

 
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