Ubuntu Is Good For Businesses
Many may be taken aback if asked to switch over from Microsoft Windows to Ubuntu Linux. However, for the average user and even a large corporation, switching to Ubuntu Linux can be beneficial in many ways. Certainly small (beginning) businesses could easily cut down on their costs by making the switch, opening up budget for more important things. Ubuntu is an open source operating system introduced by South African Mark Shuttleworth. The OS is completely free and has many of the features available with Microsoft Windows.
Businesses spend plenty of time and money in their IT budgets on user licenses for MS Windows. However, in addition to being free, Ubuntu is available in different versions to meet the needs businesses that need specific configurations. Ubuntu also includes an office suite, OpenOffice, which is 100% compatible with MSOffice. Besides, it includes all the features needed for browsing, email, games, and much more, without the cost.
Ubuntu has a server edition with tight security levels which is synonymous with Linux servers. The server automatically installs LAMP components which are Linux, Apache, MYSQL, and PHP to ensure complete functionality. The Ubuntu Server allows administrators full control over the workstations along with updating and system administration thereby eliminating the need to update each workstation individually.
Ubuntu is easy to install and comes with a host of free software that can accomplish the same tasks that any Windows based programs do. Only gamers may find it tough because the gaming industry does not include support for Linux. However, there are free software that can emulate the Windows operating system in a Linux environment.
One of the major differences between Ubuntu and MS Windows is that Ubuntu updates itself with any other software installed on a system. MS Windows on the other hand will only update the OS and other Microsoft software applications only. For multimedia support Ubuntu features a Rhythmbox players for audio, and Movie Player for video. Ubuntu supports a variety of software and applications and includes thousands of free, open-source applications including OpenOffice, an office productivity suite to create professional documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, which are compatible with MS Office. MS Windows users are required to purchase a license for MS Office or download OpenOffice to work on the system.
Ubuntu offers many features for cloud computing with its Ubuntu One service, which includes free data storage up to 2 GB. In terms of security, businesses don't have much to worry about since Linux systems are known to be more secure than Windows, where viruses and bugs cannot easily infect the system.
Along with the Ubuntu operating system all the software included with it is free, which results in significant savings of as much as $1000 per workstation alone. For a business with a number of workstations, this works out to huge savings, which is why it may be beneficial to switch to Ubuntu. Through its sponsor, Canonical Ltd., Ubuntu provides training courses and consulting services for corporate who wish to purchase support for Ubuntu. The support is subscription-based like most of the other commercially supported Linux distribution networks. With so many advantages, businesses can only profit from using Ubuntu.
