Linux 'to do comparatively well in recession'

A new report has predicted that Linux will perform relatively well when compared with rival platforms during the recession.

Research commissioned by the Linux Foundation and carried out by IDC showed that it is likely revenues from Linux-related software will rise by 21 per cent this year, with the overall software market set for growth of two per cent.

Linux's success will continue after the recession, with software revenue for the platform predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.6 per cent between 2008 and 2013, IDC said.

This is compared with a five per cent CAGR for the total software sector.

IDC went on to state: "We believe that virtualisation software use will be accelerated during the current recession and that trend will likely draw more Linux into use as well."

Last month, separate IDC research sponsored by Novell found that businesses are likely to make greater use of Linux servers during the recession as they seek to cut costs on processes such as web hosting.

Written by Dipika Patel