Windows and Linux Have Unix in Their Sights Says Meta
1 January 1970Unix is set to be overtaken by both Windows and Linux as a data center operating system of choice over the next 10 years, according to Meta Group, as users focus their spending on data center refreshment.
IT budgets might only be set to rise by 5% in 2005, according to the research firm, but 60% of budgets will be spent on the data center, according to senior vice president of operations strategies, Rakesh Kumar.
He said as businesses look to refresh their data center platforms, they will be forced to make a number of key decisions that will see Windows and Linux eventually winning out over Unix.
"It will force a platform change where customers will have to make a decision about where they sit on certain issues," Kumar said, highlighting the choice between Microsoft Corp's .NET architecture and Java, blade servers and big box machines, and of course Windows and Linux.
The impact on Unix will not be immediate, but over the next decade, its share of data center capacity will be eroded despite data center capacity growth of 40% through to 2012, according to Meta, with Windows expected to surpass Unix in 2007, and Linux surpassing Unix in 2011 at the latest.
"Some believe it may be 2007 or 2008," added Kumar. "Within four years from now we could have more Linux in data centers than Unix, certainly in Europe. The UK is slightly behind and the US even further behind."
According to Meta estimates, Unix capacity will grow by a multiple of 13 over the next year to represent 20% of data center capacity by 2012. In comparison Windows will grow by a multiple of 74 to gain 51% share, and Linux will grow by a multiple of 251 to gain 26% by 2012. "The clear loser in our opinion is going to be Unix," said Kumar.
Source: ComputerWire via Yahoo
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