Enterprise software supplier PeopleSoft will port all of
its 170 enterprise applications to Linux by the end of the
year.
David Sayed, PeopleSoft's technology product marketing manager
said that customers wanted to run enterprise applications rather
than just bringing in Linux to run file servers, web servers and
other infrastructure support roles.
"It's a coming together of customer demand and [Linux] maturity
as a whole," he said.
PeopleSoft will support all of its applications on Linux using
Red Hat Advanced Server, including customer relationship
management, enterprise performance management, enterprise service
automation, financial management, human capital management and
supplier relationship management.
Joining PeopleSoft in its announcement was IBM, which has been a
strong Linux advocate in the marketplace for at least two years,
selling Linux on a wide range of IBM hardware for business
users.
PeopleSoft has partnered with IBM to offer the PeopleSoft Linux
applications on IBM's eServer xSeries Intel-based servers, using
IBM DB2 Universal Database and WebSphere Application Server
applications.
Sayed said the company prepared for its move by looking at Linux
internally so it would be ready.
"It's an investment to support a platform well," Sayed said.
"This is presenting tremendous value at the right time."
PeopleSoft also supports Microsoft Windows server operating
systems, IBM's AIX, Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX, Sun Microsystems'
Solaris and IBM's z/OS mainframe operating systems.
The company made the transition easier by porting its PeopleSoft
Pure Internet Architecture system to Linux first. Then it will
fine-tune its applications to the platform.
Scott Handy, director of Linux software solutions at IBM, said
PeopleSoft's move to bring all of its applications to Linux "is the
biggest commitment from any ISV [independent software vendor]" so
far in the expanding Linux marketplace.
"We were talking about doing Linux with them for a while, but
they were waiting for customers" to provide the demand.
"This is exactly the kind of thing that will help a platform
become a mainstream choice," said Dan Kusnetzky, an analyst at
IDC.
"I suspect that the more [customers] who get behind it, the more
interest there will be in the market," Kusnetzky said.
Nicholas Petreley, an analyst at Evans Data said the timing is
good because "Linux is just really enjoying this bad economy."
"They're coming out of the woodwork to support Linux because
[vendors] want to support anything that will run their products,"
Petreley said.