Got Linux? Add Proprietary Code

For some industries, running proprietary software on an open source Linux distro is not the exception -- it's the rule of thumb. Take, for example, the Wall Street crowd. "Ninety-nine percent of the applications on Wall Street depend on proprietary products. We are much like Oracle in that our product runs on Linux but has a proprietary license," said FSMLabs' President Victor Yodaiken.

Migrating to the Linux platform is not an either/or proposition. Linux as a computing platform is so flexible that it offers users a have-it-your-way menu of software options.

One option is the Linux desktop. Individual users in home computing, SOHO and SMB operations can choose from a variety of enterprise-class Linux distributions. The Linux desktop OS offers a no-cost or low-cost alternative to the frustrations of Microsoft Windows or the limitations of Apple's Unix-based OS X platform for its relatively costly Mac hardware.

Another migration path is to forgo acclimating office staff to the Linux desktop. Instead, enterprises can opt to run their back-office and server operations on a Linux server. Linux servers have a rigorous giant footprint in the networking and cloud computing worlds. Linux servers are commonplace in many other enterprise settings...