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| Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash |
Linux
runs the cloud,
the Internet
and
supercomputers. Turns out that due to its free price, open nature, interoperability with
open standards, enterprise features and robust security, Linux could be a
great fit for your organization.
Linux is free
One of the most important reasons to use Linux in small companies and small organizations is its price: zero. We know how hard it is to keep the business afloat these days so every saved penny counts! Choosing Linux will not only allow your employees to to use newer, more modern software but also more secure technologies.Enterprise-grade security
Linux is way more secure than Macs and Windows. That's due to multiple factors, including: its open-collaboration model, the open-source nature of its codebase, built-in enterprise grade software, security-aware architecture and frequent updates, native disk-encryption and encrypted data at rest.
Less viruses, less ransomware, less threats
Despite still being subject to viruses and ransomware, the previously mentioned features combined with a significant smaller percentage threats of make Linux much safer than Windows and Macs (but not immune). And Linux also has anti-viruses if the system administrators need too.
Linux will feel familiar
Users in your organization will feel familiar with Linux, regardless if they come from Windows or Mac. Most distributions these days use either GNOME and KDE, which contain applications for everything that you expect: file managers, contacts, calendars, email, communication tools, etc. For example, GNOME, the standard for most distributions looks like this:
Huge selection of applications
Your employees will also have access to their favorite applications such as
Google Chrome,
Brave and
Firefox and
runs most cloud services without issues. They will also find enterprise
software like Zoom and
Microsoft Teams if
you need to talk to your clients.
Visual Studio Code, Slack, yes, runs on Linux
too!
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| Source: Slack Downloads |
Linux is reliable
Remember this? You'll probably not miss those days. Using Linux will be a way more stable experience. Your system will rarely crash and the tools you'll use will make your computer way more stable than Windows or Mac equivalents.
Good for old hardware
Linux is also excellent for old hardware as it can be configured with lighter tools that utilize less resources. Most distributions (such as Fedora LXDE shown below) release alternative lightweight versions so you'll just need a simple install to get these systems optimized for lower-end hardware.
Frequent/Automatic updates
Linux distributions are frequently updated meaning that students will be getting the latest security, software and kernel fixes automatically. These are usually the holes crackers explore to target organizations. Getting updates quickly is also important to mitigate zero-days.Reliable updates
We've seen a lot of mistakes recently made by either Microsoft and Apple with their Windows and Mac operating systems. Updates on Linux are not only reliable but are more frequent than anything you'd get on those systems. You can even mix update models, for example by choosing a long term support (LTS) system which provides up to 10 years while allowing the developers in those organizations to upgrade every 6 months to get access to the most recent development technologies.
Custom repositories
With Linux, your organization can easily setup their own custom repositories allowing/limiting which software can be installed on their Linux workstations.
Open-source code
Small companies and small organizations can also benefit from the open-source
code in the sense that they can modify and adjust the software they use if
need be. While not a mandatory requirement, it's technically possible to
modify the code, test and deploy it to production.
Linux is customizable
If just setting up a custom repository isn't enough, organizations can benefit from Linux's fantastic array of customization options allowing them to customize everything including:- Desktop Managers: most common are GNOME, KDE, XFCE, LXQT and LXDE.
- Login Managers: how to login in your system.
- Desktop themes: themes, colors, etc.
- Fonts: customize your fonts, sizes, etc.
- Systems and Services: your system will have an endless list of services to choose from.
- Kernel: even the kernel, the main process of your system can be customized.
Free Office Tools
Small companies and organizations can also save thousands of Dollars per year by using one of the free alternatives to Microsoft's Office proprietary suite on Linux: LibreOffice, OpenOffice, WPS and Calligra Suite. You'll probably not miss Word and Excel.
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| Source: linuxuprising.com |
Native disk-encryption
Most distributions offer native disk-encryption during the installation. Native disk-encryption is essential today as users frequently transport their devices out of the organizations's secured space. If lost or stolen, the only way to access the data would be by entering the encryption password.
