Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) and member company Levanta have announced the free availability of an Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) study titled "Get the Truth on Linux Management." The study re-examines previously reported, anti-Linux management claims -- deriving updated analysis from in-depth research with more than 200 end users. The "Get the Truth on Linux Management" report is available in its entirety, for free download, at the Levanta website.

In previous studies, Microsoft and some industry analysts have claimed that Linux has a higher total cost of ownership (TCO) than Windows, and have cited higher systems management costs as a significant shortcoming for Linux. In "Get the Truth on Linux Management" -- co-sponsored by Levanta and OSDL -- end user feedback indicates that previously reported Linux management "pains" no longer hold true, and that enterprises running Linux are in fact often spending less time and money on common systems administration tasks than they are with their comparable Windows environments.

"For too long, special interest groups have attacked the manageability of Linux, and fueled the F.U.D. that Linux environments are somehow more difficult or labor-intensive to manage than Windows environments," said Stuart Cohen, CEO of the Open Source Development Labs. "In fact, Linux system management tools are in many cases outpacing Windows management tools."

"Past Microsoft-sponsored reports on Linux management are simply outdated and one-sided," said Matt Mosman, CEO of Levanta. "The EMA study has confirmed what the Linux community has known to be true for some time now - that the F.U.D is unfounded, and that management doesn't have to be viewed as a red flag when considering the overall TCO of Linux."