Trends Report

What Are The Preferred OSes For Critical Apps?

Windows Server Dominates, But Linux Is The Top Choice For Switchers

September 14th, 2007
Frank Gillett, null
Frank Gillett
With contributors:
Eric Brown , Will McEnroe , Emily Van Metre

Summary

Windows Server is the most popular choice for the most important packaged applications at North American enterprises — but the market is not settled by any means. Firms name a wide variety of operating systems (OSes) that they use for critical apps, and 29% name two or more. More than half of North American enterprises would consider switching OSes, and among them, Linux is the top choice, with 37% of switchers. For technology marketers, this means that the OS diversity that they face will increase, not decrease — and that they should start to look at software-based virtual appliances as an alternative to supporting the growing variety of OSes for enterprise applications.

Want to read the full report?

Contact us to become a client

This report is available for individual purchase ($1495).

Forrester helps business and technology leaders use customer obsession to accelerate growth. That means empowering you to put the customer at the center of everything you do: your leadership strategy, and operations. Becoming a customer-obsessed organization requires change — it requires being bold. We give business and technology leaders the confidence to put bold into action, shaping and guiding how to navigate today's unprecedented change in order to succeed.