Linux in the Middle East, some practical tips

'Linux has been slow to take-off in the Middle East but since about March this year we have seen a lot of interest all of a sudden,' says Christian Kroker, Managing Director of Enigmatis, a Dubai Internet City based Linux specialist which moved to the region from its South African home last autumn.

'Around the world the adoption of Linux has been led by government, and not the private sector. For example, the Munich City Council recently moved 30,000 desktop PCs on to Linux despite the offer of a free alternative from Microsoft. They simply wanted Linux.

'There is one reason why! And that is that Linux is inherently a more stable and secure platform than Windows. This is partly because the viruses do not run on Linux. Thus security is more robust.

'We tested a Windows server in our office recently and it was corrupted with viruses and worms within a week. Our Linux server has sat there for over a year without a problem.'

It is not only global government departments that are turning to Linux, however. Mr. Kroker cites the local UAE Al Ghurair Group as an example of a choice dictated by the need to avoid downtime on alternative systems.

'With 100 accountants operating a system then one day lost is five month's of man hours,' he says. 'Al Ghurair just wanted something more reliable.

'We are not suggesting that companies should move entirely on to Linux. They should first look outside Windows before jumping out of it. Have a look at the cost benefits and set up a project to evaluate Linux and its scaleability and reliability.'

Indeed, Mr. Kroker says the idea that Linux is cheaper than Windows, just because the open source software is free, is incorrect. There is still the set-up cost and maintenance to consider which often outweighs the open source cost advantages.

However, he does seek to dispel some myths about Linux such as the supposed non-availability of applications to run on Linux.

'The major business applications from Oracle will all run on Linux, that is what we did for Al Ghurair,' he says. 'We will come in an install the boxes, typically from our partner Sun, and make the system work. We also offer full maintenance backup.

'What is true is that specialist applications such as graphics will not run on Linux, but you can do almost anything else. Dubai's Habib AG Zurich Bank has been running its core banking on Linux for over a year.'

Mr.Kroker also dismissed the myth that Linux systems are customized and so hard for new IT staff to takeover. 'Anyone who knows Linux can quickly see what is installed, and we give an access code to every customer in case they want to use it.'

Interestingly the Syrian Government is now pioneering the use of Linux in the public sector, because US sanctions prevent it using Windows, and may be rolling out e-government applications shortly. However, in the meantime it is software consultants like Enigmatis who are carrying the Linux torch around the region.