| | December 201519CIOReviewCXO INSIGHTSToday's world of technology offers an endless fountain of advancements that grant business leaders a wide array of options when it comes to selecting products for their IT infrastructures. More and more, CTOs and CIOs are opting to use Linux and Open Source Software (OSS) because it provides the gift of choice. The choices for implementation have no boundaries when selecting an open source enterprise operating platform.A few years back, Forrester and IDC declared Linux had crossed the chasm into mainstream adoption as a means for cutting costs and as a driver of growth. Linux remains one of the fastest-growing operating systems in the world and it continues to move deeper into the enterprise; some organizations rely on Linux to run mission-critical applications that fully integrate the technology into their IT infrastructures. For others, Linux runs on the edges of their corporate network, supporting things like file and email systems. Mixed environments made up of Windows and Linux are typically the norm in today's IT world.Business leaders have the option of choosing between commercially supported Linux distributions or community distributions. Both have their pros, but the challenge comes in managing the potential risk and costs of dealing with varying support issues each Linux system offers, and matching those with your company's needs.While IT managers seek simplicity in implementation and management, there are many factors to take into consideration that meet the needs of the business: the number and diversity of mission-critical applications, costs and ability of the IT team to support it, security requirements, and the length of time needed to support the application or environmentEcosystemCommercial Enterprise Linux distributors provide enterprise-class operating systems that are known for durability, stability and fully-certified products that are comparable or even better to what is used by proprietary enterprise software companies. These Linux vendors maintain hardware and application certifications for their distributions to ensure the upmost optimal performance and compatibility. Enterprise Linux vendors test all new versions and maintenance updates to guarantee compatibility and ensure third-party hardware and software continues to perform faultlessly and provide a lifecycle of support for their products. You can also obtain your Enterprise Linux products from your server hardware provider (e.g. Hewlett Packard Enterprise), which can provide additional benefits.Community-supported Linux distributions have their perks too. They can promote rapid innovation with more frequent release cycles than Enterprise Linux distributions. Community distributions are perfect for users that value the newest features and functionality over stability and hardware and software certifications of an Enterprise Linux distribution. Community versions are also great for companies that have workers with a lot of technical skills who are able to spend time nurturing applications. SecuritySecurity threats can develop in the blink of an eye and can have severe consequences for enterprises, hence why operating system security needs to be constantly monitored. Unplanned downtime caused by security issues can have a real cost for companies, resulting in reduced worker productivity, decreased revenue How to Choose the Right Linux to Facilitate Flexibility and InnovationBy Joe Gerkman, Director-HP Global Alliance , SUSE
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