I work for a managed IT service provider. We're primarily a Windows shop, though we do manage a few Linux servers and macOS devices across various clients. Our customers range from small businesses to enterprises with up to 1,000 employees.
Lately, I’ve been reading about several government initiatives in the EU aiming to switch to Linux or open-source platforms. The main reasons seem to be digital sovereignty, vendor independence and long-term cost savings. While that might work for public institutions I started wondering what such a move would look like for our customers and us as an MSP. In my opinion the operating system is one point but more important are the services you use on top. Let me explain: We can offer competitive pricing and good quality largely thanks to efficiency and integration with Microsoft 365. Take a typical Windows device deployment: - We unbox the device and initiate Autopilot. - Windows installs and configures itself. - Group policies are applied automatically. - Software is deployed via Intune - Antivirus is activated and monitored (Defender) - OneDrive and SharePoint sync files immediately. - Printers, default apps, VPNs—everything is ready out of the box. - Central monitoring and patching is seamless.
And all of this is covered under the license "M365 Business Premium" which is round-about $270 / user / year. The service itself is maintained by Microsoft so we just have to actaully configure the system. No maintenance or whatsoever.
This (more or less) seamless integration saves time, reduces support requests and keeps everything consistent. Now I am unsure how Linux would compete in terms of this operational efficiency: Can it match this level of integration and automation? Are there integrated services that are as price-competitive or at least ensure more sovereignty? Or in the end do I need to buy services like Nextcloud, mattermost, jitsi, libreoffice, some virus and policy-tool, grafana individually and maybe even self-host, maintain, monitor etc...? If not, what are the overall benefits? Additionally, it is hard to find good and qualified people. With a Linux solution this would get even harder.
Re-reading my text made me think of as it's almost a Windows ad. Please don't take it this way. I am not arguing against Linux, I’m genuinely curious about its practical application in a business context. Looking forward to your opinions and inputs!
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