The Rising Tide of Linux on Business Desktops

📌 TLDR

Linux adoption on business desktops is climbing—from 1.6% in January 2025 to 1.9% in June, and up to 2.5% for newly deployed devices—driven by rising security needs and DevOps practices (Lansweeper data).

🔵 NEO Insights: Migration to EU or Open‑Source Alternatives report provides a strategic roadmap to reduce vendor lock‑in, cut software spend, and regain digital autonomy. Their blog reinforces this movement with real-world examples from Kerala’s public sector to Denmark’s digital sovereignty—and offers case-driven reasons to go open.

According to Lansweeper, Linux usage on enterprise endpoints (desktops and laptops) rose from 1.6% in January 2025 to 1.9% in June, and among devices deployed after March 1, 2025, it reached 2.5%. These figures are drawn from a whopping 18.5 million device scans, signaling significant and growing enterprise interest in Linux. This isn’t a fluke, it’s a clear upward trend. Lansweeper’s CTO, Guido Patanella, calls it an exponential shift, driven by:

• Security & transparency: Linux’s open nature boosts resilience and trust for IT teams.
• DevOps compatibility: Developers favor Linux for containerization, automation, and modern workflows.

While Europe, especially in public sector and business services, leads adoption, some North American industries like tech and telecom report nearly 7% Linux usage. Although challenges remain in tooling and legacy dependencies, this trend highlights priorities such as digital sovereignty, security, and cost efficiency.

Licenseware’s NEO Insights Report: A Strategic Response

Licenseware’s NEO Insights: Migration to EU or Open‑Source Alternatives Report is built for this moment. It provides:

• Analysis of strategic triggers for migration: vendor lock-in, security, and software cost sustainability.
• Identification of priority migration areas, where EU or open-source options provide substantial value.
• A detailed review of proprietary risks, from opaque contracts to forced audits and unpredictable price changes.

It’s an indispensable tool for IT and procurement leaders reevaluating their software stack.

📄 Read the report

A European Open-Source Future

The implications of this movement go beyond desktops.

With the Dutch Parliament calling for an end to U.S. cloud reliance, and the EU investing in Gaia‑X and sovereign infrastructure, open-source adoption is aligning with national policy. Enterprises won’t just “go open” for flexibility, they’ll do it to comply, compete, and remain future-ready in a shifting geopolitical and digital landscape.

Licenseware’s insights and tools empower organizations to move proactively—not reactively—toward this reality.

Real-World Proof from the Licenseware Blog

Licenseware’s blog is packed with stories that give the report added weight. Here are eight relevant articles showcasing real-world shifts to open-source and sovereign solutions:

1. How Kerala’s Schools Saved $360 Million by Switching to Open Source (Jul 27, 2025)
   – A powerful example of large-scale open-source adoption reducing public IT spend.
   – Demonstrates how companies use open source to take back control over their infrastructure.
2. From Petition to Policy: How Europe’s Call for EU Linux Signals a Continental Shift Away from Big Tech Dependency (May 20, 2025)
   – Discusses EU-wide calls for Linux adoption as a sovereign alternative.
3. Denmark’s Digital Declaration of Independence: A Growing European Revolt Against Big Tech Dependency (Apr 25, 2025)
   – Denmark’s government steps toward tech independence echo a broader European sentiment.
4. From Microsoft to Open Source: How One German State Is Rewriting the Rules of Public Sector IT (Apr 11, 2025)

Together, these articles offer compelling evidence that the shift to open source is happening, at scale, across sectors, and for good reason.

Sources

1. The Register (Aug 6, 2025): Lansweeper finds Linux is growing on business endpoints
2. Licenseware (Jul 27, 2025): How Kerala’s Schools Saved $360 Million by Switching to Open Source
3. Licenseware (May 20, 2025): From Petition to Policy: How Europe’s Call for EU Linux Signals a Continental Shift
4. Licenseware (Apr 25, 2025): Denmark’s Digital Declaration of Independence
5. Licenseware (Mar 28, 2025): Why More Organizations Are Switching to Open Source
6. Licenseware (Apr 11, 2025): From Microsoft to Open Source: How One German State Is Rewriting the Rules of Public Sector IT
7. Licenseware: NEO Insights Report