What is the outlook for Ubuntu Server?

Is Ubuntu getting ready to make a big splash in the Linux server market, just as it has on the desktop? Blogger Matthew McKenzie thinks so. In his article, “Ubuntu Eyes The Linux Server Landscape,”he notes that Ubuntu Server is making moves that position it well to compete in the small and midsize business market:

Due to Canonical’s policy of issuing major updates every six months with fixed-length support windows and long-term support options, Ubuntu gives businesses a stable, predictable foundation upon which to make IT planning decisions.

McKenzie also cites the release of Landscape — a systems management tool for Ubuntu desktops and servers — that reduces the complexity of similar tools for Red Hat and Novell enterprise systems. There are also deals involving Ubuntu Server with IBM and possibly Sun that signal further forays into the server market.

McKenzie’s outlook is sunny; for a more skeptical (but not terrible) review of Ubuntu Server, see Carla Schroder’s post at enterprisenetworkingplanet.com.

And here is a tutorial from Howtoforge, if you’ve been thinking about setting up an Ubuntu Server: The Perfect Server - Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon (Ubuntu 7.10).