Linux vendors eye new opportunities as enterprises seek alternatives to Windows
Demand in Asia for a viable alternative to Microsoft's desktop computing platform is poised to pick up this year, says a senior executive at Sun Microsystems.
Sun chief information officer William Howard said this trend was the result of continued efforts by organisations across the region to rein in costs while empowering their workers with the essential computing tools.
'Over the past few years organisations have been forced to do more with less,' he said.
With the economy perking up, he also expected large and small firms to undertake projects to simplify their business processes, put more applications on the Web and increase network security.
This has emboldened information technology vendors such as Sun to push Linux and other open-source programs as a desktop alternative to Microsoft's Windows operating system and Office productivity suite.