Gartner Evaluates the Progress of Linux in latest Hype Cycle

[Jhinuk Cchowdhury]

*Gartner Evaluates the Progress of Linux in latest Hype Cycle*

*Open-source operating system making progress, but still two to five years 
short of mainstream use*

** 

*Bangalore, September 8, 2005-* Gartner's Hype Cycle for Linux 2005 
illustrates how, over the past two years, Linux has matured as an 
established operating system environment, primarily on one- to 
four-processors. However, Gartner found that for eight processors and 
beyond, Linux must demonstrate performance, security and application proof 
points based on the 2.6 version of the kernel and that the biggest test 
continues to be whether it can function as a data centre server for 
mission-critical applications.

 The Gartner Hype Cycle for Linux 2005 is a graphical representation of the 
maturity, adoption and business application of Linux. The Hype Cycle shows 
that Linux is, as a mission-critical system, almost half way along the 
technology trigger - the first phase of a Hype Cycle in which the product 
has generated significant press interest. This represents some progress from 
2004, even though leading-edge organisations are at an early phase in 
deploying it. By the end of 2005, Gartner expects increased 
commercialisation of Linux, such as improved storage and systems management. 
At this time, Linux is used primarily for WebSphere and infrastructure 
applications on mainframes, Web services on blades and racks, computer 
clusters and some Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) systems.

 On the desktop, the positions are based on Linux's functional use, and on 
its degree of complexity and cost for mainstream businesses, mainstream 
consumers and data entry. Data entry is the most promising, having passed 
the Trough of Disillusionment, a period when a technology does not live up 
to its over-inflated expectations and rapidly becomes unfashionable. 
Mainstream business use of Linux is nearing the Peak of Inflated 
Expectations, where the costs of migration may exceed the cost benefits. 
This phase is characterised by over-enthusiasm and unrealistic projections 
when flurries of well publicised activity by technology leaders results in 
some successes, but more failures, as the technology is pushed to its 
limits. 

 The positions on the Gartner Hype Cycle for Linux 2005 take into account 
factors such as the open-source development community, the conversion of 
open-source software into products by system and storage vendors, support 
and marketing strategies of Linux distributors and hardware vendors, and the 
costs required to move from legacy platforms. Some markets, such as blade 
and compute-intensive clustered servers, will be quite advanced; others will 
fall behind because of lack of richness in manageability and availability. 

 

-- 
"You see things and ask why, I dream of things as never before and ask why 
not" :)
GB Shaw
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