Another great reason to consider Linux is to avoid putting all your eggs in one vendor's basket. Having mission-critical systems and data at the mercy of a single vendor's product roadmap and licensing strategy just doesn't make sense.

Locking your business on a single platform from a monopolistic vendor places your systems–and business–at risk. Applications running on SUSE® Linux Enterprise provide a new upgrade path for businesses that don't want to get locked into a pattern of forced upgrades and expensive licensing programs. For example, the Microsoft WEPOS license is locked to the device and non-transferable. This means that retailers who want to buy new hardware are forced to purchase a new WEPOS license through an OEM. With SUSE Linux Enterprise, you buy only the software and support you need–when you need it.

SUSE Linux Enterprise also gives retailers a stronger negotiating position when dealing with other vendors. Greater freedom and choice mean lower costs and higher margins.