Linux Now 25% of Dell's Server Business

Sam Haine '95 writes to mention a ZDNet article discussing Linux's place in the server market, at least for Dell Computers. Linux now makes up over 25% of the company's server business, and has become such a standard that they only need to confer with Red Hat for some 10% of service calls. From the article: "Linux and open source have been a blessing for Dell as it has struggled to make an impression, other than as a desktop and laptop supplier, in enterprise computing, According to Martin Hingley, vice-president of the European Systems Group at analysts IDC, part of the problem for Dell in the enterprise is that 'people don't like partnering with Dell.'"

Comments

Re:OpenManaged and the No OS option

[truthsearch]

So I'd say that Linux probably accounts for closer to 30-40%, if not even 50% of Dell's server sales.

They probably don't want to sound like they're exaggerating the Linux install base and anger their biggest partner. So they only state the stats that Microsoft can't possibly dispute.

do they count my server?

[Russ Nelson]

I nuked the DOS that my server came with, and replaced it with Linux. Does that 25% count my server? I expect not, nor many others.

I gave up on Dell

[Anon-Admin]

I ditched dell when I called support. 50+ laptops to set up, and all of them were blue screening when you plugged in the USB port replicator.

Dell's support suggested reinstalling the OS from the supplied CD. I did it and it still blue screened.

Dell's response

"Well, if reinstalling the OS did not solve the problem. You need to reformat the drive and reinstall the OS."

What a solution.

It is good to see them claming support of Linux, the question is will there support be better than it has been?

Re:Does that really mean admins are using Linux?

[Cheeze]

tired argument.

I don't think anyone in their right mind would pay $799 (or something like that) for RedHat enterprise and then delete it, and install a pirate copy of windows. Businesses are always on the BSA radar.