Canadian Firm Shows Faith In Ubuntu Server
While most major server vendors take a “wait and see” approach to Ubuntu, a major Canadian Web host says the server operating system is ready for prime time. Indeed, Cirrus Tech is now offering Ubuntu on its server hosting plans. Here’s a closer look at Cirrus Tech’s announcement, and the state of Ubuntu on the server.
Cirrus Tech’s Ubuntu server move comes less than two weeks after I noted Canonical’s Ubuntu server push is progressing slowly. Still, a few more small victories resembling Cirrus Tech could help Ubuntu to gradually gain mind share — and market share — on servers.
In addition to Ubuntu, Cirrus Tech says it offers Fedora Core, CentOS and Debian as Linux server options. Cirrus introduced Ubuntu server support because customers have been requesting it “for some time now,” according to a prepared statement from Mani Aminian, a sales manager at Cirrus. Aminian adds that Cirrus has experienced no problems running Ubuntu on the company’s servers.
Meanwhile, most major server vendors continue to take a “wait and see” approach to Ubuntu servers. While Sun offers Ubuntu servers, rival hardware makers like Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM remain on the sidelines.
Sensing Opportunity
Smaller server vendors, however, are making progress with Ubuntu. System76, for instance, offers a range of Ubuntu-certified servers. And I’ve received dozens of inquiries from white box PC makers who are testing Ubuntu as a small business server.
Application providers are gradually climbing aboard as well. Untangle, an open source security specialist, now writes its applications to support Ubuntu servers, according to MSPmentor.
Still, Ubuntu’s momentum on the server remains a work in progress.
I think we’ll see Ubuntu Netbook Remix get a lot of momentum long before Ubuntu Server does. Small, mobile device makers are open to trying new, low-cost, reliable alternatives to Windows.
Server vendors however are hyper sensitive to high-end support issues, application issues and the entrenched demand for windows, red hat and novell. ubuntu will need to work hard to compete there.
[…] Canadian Web host has started offering Ubuntu as a server option to its customers. Here are some quick details about the move, as reported by Works With U, a web site that covers the Ubuntu […]
[…] Canadian Web host has started offering Ubuntu as a server option to its customers. Here are some quick details about the move, as reported by Works With U, a web site that covers the Ubuntu industry. While most major server […]
vpsville.ca has offered (not surprisingly) vps packages using ubuntu 8.04 server since a couple of days after its launch
[…] Canadian Firm Shows Faith In Ubuntu Server […]
[…] Read more at Works With U […]
In NZ we’ve certainly jumped in boots and all – Ubuntu is in widespread use through out (admittedly small-scale) IT infrastructure. All the hosting and business server implementations at Egressive, where I work, has been Ubuntu-based since Dapper Drake (Ubuntu 6.06 from June 2006), and we were testing the Ubuntu waters as early as Warty Warthog (in 2004). We’ve been deploying virtualised hosting on top of Hardy for months using Xen: Ubuntu Dapper, Feisty, Gutsy, and Hardy systems as VMs. As far as we’re concerned, going with Ubuntu has been a very good decision, no regrets. Ubuntu is superb.
Dave
Dave: Great to read your thoughts and thanks to everyone who offered their comments. One of my goals for Works With U going forward is to spend far more time speaking with IT leaders and business folks who are running Ubuntu on the server.
Memo to all readers: If you’ve tried Ubuntu Server and want to share an ongoing dialog with me, reach me at:
joe [at] ninelivesmediainc.com
I’d love to hear about your experiences, and write about them, but I will keep conversations confidential if you so request.
ION Computer also sells great servers amp; workstations with Ubuntu pre-installed.
Check out: http://ioncomputer.com
We use their servers and Ubuntu for several of our companies services.
Kevin: Thanks for the ION Computer tip. I will check ’em out and introduce them to more of our readers.
All the best,
-jp
WattMinder is small start-up in the energy monitoring and management field. We were badly burned by Microsoft, so I became the Ubuntu Linux evangelist in the group. We are now running three Ubuntu servers (all were bare metal dual core AMD machines when we bought them from Dell) and we are happy campers. I have to admit that some of our group found the CLI (command line interface) intimidating because they came from a Windows centric GUI world, and didn’t know anything else. But they are learning to use the CLI, and I think the worst of the griping about the lack of a GUI is now over. They have all noticed the lack of re-boots and crashes. Ubuntu “just works”.