Ubuntu Server: More Than A File Server

Canonical recently completed a survey analyzing how customers are using Ubuntu Server. To The VAR Guy’s surprise, quite a few customers are running key business applications (including Enterprise Resource Planning) on Ubuntu Server. Here’s a quick look at the survey results.

First, some background. The data is based on more than 50,000 survey responses, though Canonical doesn’t suggest that the survey results are scientific. Rather, the survey results reveal interesting anecdotes about worldwide use of Ubuntu Server.

For instance, roughly 66 percent of Ubuntu server are used for file serving, followed by database management (about 52%) and email (about 51%). Far lower on the list — but still garnering considerable attention — were ERP (about 14.8%) and customer relationship management (CRM, also about 14.8%).

Just for Development Servers?

The survey results may also dispel another long-held myth: That Ubuntu Server Edition is just an application development platform, and never makes it out onto production systems.

Sure, roughly 43% of survey respondents use Ubuntu Server for testing and roughly 33% use Ubuntu Server for development. But a healthy 24% (approximately) use Ubuntu Server in production settings.

Here’s a closer look at the survey results.