Linux is no tougher to manage than Windows

People say that a lot, but now there's proof.

The proof is in a survey of 200 managers by Enterprise Management Associates, a market research firm. It was sponsored by Levanta, which makes a Linux-based change management product.

Here's the bottom line. According to EMA, "Sophisticated management tools now allow Linux management to be fast, effective, and inexpensive. With far lower acquisition costs, Linux is now a cost-effective alternative to Windows."

The study examined issues like provisioning, patch management, configuration management, reliability and resource costs, concluding that studies showing large cost differences are outdated.

Most of the companies examined were outside Levanta's market, said director of marketing David Dennis. They were small-to-medium sized businesses which are at the heart of Microsoft's continuing market dominance.

"People who have sophisticated Linux management tools are doing fine. Those who are just using what comes in the OS, on the other hand, were saying it’s no worse than Windows," he added.

Hopefully the study will help counter some of the Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt still flooding this market, and cause smaller enterprises to take another look at Linux, because base acquisition costs are really much lower in the Linux environment.