Linux Being Used For Mission-Critical AppsLinux Being Used For Mission-Critical Apps

Linux is being used to run mission-critical applications in large companies, not just providing infrastructure services, according to a recent study by Forrester Research.

Some 53 percent of 140 companies surveyed by Forrester are running mission-critical applications on Linux, and 52 percent choose Linux for new applications, Forrester said in an April 26 study, "Linux Crosses Into Mission-Critical Apps."

Some 44 percent of respondents said they are using Linux to port older apps to new hardware, and 33 percent run apps that require Linux.

Linux advisory groups are rare, but focusing on the right issues, Forrester said. Of the 85 firms using or planning to use open source, only 11 percent already had internal open source advisory bodies, Forrester said. The bodies are supporting the firm's developers with tools and services, assessing open source product quality, legal risks and community health, and recommending open source products.

Forrester interviewed 150 IT decision makers at North American companies about their open source software strategies. Half reported more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Service, manufacturing and telecom firms accounted for 65 percent of respondents; those were the industries most likely to have Linux in production at the start of the year.