BSD UNIX - the most secure and stable system. Reliability, Stability and Security - these are the critical demands for a server operative system. The BSD UNIX family is the top choice - and it is not even hard to prove.
By: Soren "Frank" Munch, CEO, U5com Co Ltd.
Choosing a Server Operative System for the Office server
The server is a central component in the office environment.
It takes care of a long range of crucial functions - office software, file sharing, printing, Internet, backups, security, remote access - see two minutes
Candidates
Today, the choice is in praxis limited to 3 candidates. Microsoft Windows, Linux and Unix.
U5 believes that most business - SMEs as well as large corporations - are making the best choice using the BSD UNIX operative system on their corporate servers.
BSD UNIX Functions
A server operative system must perform a range of functions. BSD UNIX is an absolute leader. A comprehensive list would take volumes, but here are some examples:
Connectivity
As a network component, FreeBSD interoperates with all systems in use today. MS Windows (all versions), MAC OS, Linux, Palm Os, Symbian.
Tasks
BSD UNIX perform natively a long range of functions. Examples for office use would be client/server software solutions, MS Windows filesharing, print queueing, strong encryption, access by VPN
Support
A huge community, both commercial and voluntary, supports BSD UNIX. A search in Google for "BSD" reports 78 million pages.
Software
An enormous amount of software runs on BSD UNIX. Those applied by U5 for office use are all industrial-strenght level and tested in millions of installations.
The server's functions are of course what it is all about. But there's one more very good reason for making BSD UNIX the top choice. BSD UNIX's reliability is simply the best you can get.
BSD UNIX Reliability
The importance of reliability can't be overrated. If the server is down or malfunctioning it severely influences the work of the entire office, often stopping any activity completely.
So what server operative system is the most stable and least likely to cause problem for whatever reason?
Well, the answer is simply - BSD UNIX.
Netcraft is the largest and best known server monitoring site, and has been that for more than 10 years.
One of things monitored by Netcraft is uptime - how long time since the server last time had to be restarted?
BSD UNIX dominates completely, taking the top spot and 35 out of the top 50 places.
Mi2g Ltd. Research
In the largest research ever of its kind, London-based security firm Mi2g Ltd. analyzed, over a year, 235,907 break-ins against permanently connected computers around the world.
The results were dramatic in favor of BSD UNIX (and Mac OS) systems. The research concluded that Mac OS X and BSD UNIX are the "world's safest and most secure 24/7 online computing environments.'
The study itself is not free, but excerpts can be read here
Viruses and Worms
If words like "I love you virus", "Blaster", "Slammer", "Code Red", "Nimda", "Zotob" and "Rbot" does not mean anything to you, you
probably do not have an MS Windows based server. If you did you'd be likely to have downtime, loss of data and high expenses to
get your system cleaned and rebuild.
But how many worms successfully attacked BSD UNIX systems in the last 10 years? You'd have
to go back to 2002 to find the last "successful" worm against a BSD UNIX system - and in stark contrast to the previously mentioned worms (they put servers down worldwide) it was unable to do any noticeable damage because
of a much more robust system design.
U5's own experience
It is an incredibly stable and configurable system, allowing U5 to provide system with great functions, superior security and an absolutely minimal need for maintenance.
By basing our U5 Confidence server on BSD UNIX we can provide a better value for money than using anything else.
U5com Co Ltd
Head Office
Asian Business Building, 870/12 Payathai Rd, Payathai, Ratchatevee, 10400 Bangkok, Thailand