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Executive Viewpoint 2019 Prediction: IGEL – Linux Will Power Virtualization Growth

The rapid adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), continued transition of workloads to the cloud, and the enterprises’ ever-increasing pressure to protect data in a connected world are three key happenings that will drive the growth use of Linux in 2019 and beyond.

There are an estimated six billion IoT devices in use today, and the vast majority of these devices are running a Linux kernel.  If analyst estimates are correct, the number of IoT devices will increase exponentially over the next few years, and all of these devices will be communicating with virtualized data collectors.  According to Gartner, there will be 20.4 billion connected devices by 2020.  Most of these will be running a Linux kernel.

Linux will be at the center of edge computing as IoT adoptions expands into the enterprise.  Amazon, Google and Microsoft are offering IoT edge products that further extend their penetration into the cloud computing market they helped define.  Microsoft’s Azure IoT Edge, for example, touts its ability to “extend cloud intelligence and analytics to edge devices.”  Looking for ways to differentiate, these IoT devices will, no doubt, be running Linux.

Cloud computing will shift further to the approach that Forrester notes in its predictions of where business will be setting its sights next year, “2019 represents a year when strategic ambitions will translate to pragmatic, surgical efforts with the aim of putting points on the board.”  Linux, which will be at the core of the endpoints and the virtual workloads with which they communicate, will increase as enterprises begin to more clearly define where the value lies in virtualized workloads and as they target those applications.  Enterprises will be looking for a secure, customizable operating system on which to build their value; Linux will be the solution.

Since every major cloud provider uses a Linux-based infrastructure, including Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, etc., Linux will be a factor in the anticipated increase on spending.  Gartner predicts the global public cloud services market will grow by 17.3% to $206.2 billion in 2019.  Cloud-based delivery of end-user computing services is experiencing healthy growth, which will lead to further deployment of Linux-based operating systems as the secure access device.  An industry report by Finances Online estimates Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) to grow by 23%, to a total spend of $48.6 billion per year.

The need to better protect data against a virtualized landscape of multiple devices, hybrid cloud environments and compliance pressures is another compelling driver for Linux growth.  Linux-based operating systems have proven themselves as the more secure alternative to Windows at the endpoint.  The modular and flexible nature of Linux allows developers to limit functionality, resulting in a device that is nearly impossible to manipulate for any reason, good or bad.

Linux also offers what the Linux Community has known for years:  the open source approach is incredibly stable and inherently more secure because the source code is accessible for peer review and repair, which means fewer vulnerabilities and even fewer exploits.

Linux is well positioned to power virtualization growth as IBM with Red Hat, Microsoft, Intel and other market moving enterprises are now investing heavily in developing Linux-based offerings.  Microsoft supports Linux-based operating systems running on its Hyper-V hypervisor, and Microsoft Azure, which uses Linux-based components, supports Linux OS guests incredibly well.  And by developing the Windows Subsystem for Linux, Microsoft made it possible to run Linux application workloads on Windows Server.   For their part, Intel has introduced its Clear Linux Project – a Linux OS optimized for Intel processors.  Intel and Alibaba are teaming up on AliOS, a highly customized Linux distribution for mobile, industrial, and IoT devices.

For all these reasons – Linux’s widespread use in virtual appliances, its secure and versatile use in any number of endpoint devices, its support of emerging cloud services like DaaS, SaaS and IaaS – Linux will continue to become a dominant force in 2019 and beyond.

IGEL

Jeff Kalberg
Jeff Kalberg
Jeff Kalberg is Chief Technology Evangelist for IGEL Technology. With over 35 years of industry experience, Jeff has advised organizations of all sizes on a variety of technologies. Over the years, he has counseled some of the world’s largest and most respected companies. Working within all levels of an organization from marketing and sales to operations and finance to information technology, Jeff has developed a unique perspective that he leverages to the benefit of his client customers today.

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