Why Businesses Can’t Ignore The Growing Linux Trend

Seth Robinson | The VAR Guy | May 3, 2016

Linux is growing out of its pigeonhole to become a powerful force in today’s digital climate. Here are five reasons that Linux is on the rise and Linux skills are in high demand

It used to be a clear sign of geekiness. People who were into Linux would rave about its benefits and flexibility…as long as you knew how to install your own OS, dig around for the hardware drivers you needed, and be a master of command-line instructions. For a world building technical literacy through more user-friendly front-end systems, Linux was a niche reserved for technology enthusiasts.

The world has changed, though, and Linux is growing out of its pigeonhole to become a powerful force in today’s digital climate. Maturity in technical savviness and improvements in Linux distros have closed the historical gap, but beyond that there are some specific drivers making Linux a bigger deal than it was before. Here are five reasons that Linux is on the rise and Linux skills are in high demand:

1. The Linux footprint is growing. The traditional Linux stereotype existed primarily as awareness about computing was growing through PC adoption. In the server room, Linux has always been a strong candidate, and its reach there is spreading. System administrators are using Linux for things like web servers or virtual appliances as their businesses undergo digital transformation. Canonical’s Ubuntu is a popular distro, as is the community-owned Debian on which Ubuntu is based...