Why Your ISP's Web Server Platform Matters

There are two major operating systems available for computing environments. These are UNIX and Windows. UNIX was developed in the 1960's, and has continued to be updated and optimized since that time. Windows was developed in the early 1990's as a graphical extension to MSDOS. While Windows and DOS are now much more closely integrated, and many new features have been added, they still do not have the development and testing exposure of UNIX.

Security - UNIX was designed as a multi-user environment from its inception. The idea was that some people on the system would use it for some purposes, others entirely different purposes, and yet others that needed access to virtually everything on the system including the system itself. Users were given permissions enabling them to do what was necessary to do their job and nothing more. A "Super-User" was in charge of adminstering the system, including maintaining, upgrading the system, and enabling and limiting permissions for users. The concept of Windows as a multiuser environment was an afterthought brought about by environmental and economic pressures. Windows still does not support a truly multi-user environment that UNIX has enjoyed for numberous years.

Reliability - UNIX servers are well know for their stability and reliability. They are often found in heavy production environments for this reason. Windows on the other hand typically requires rebooting on a weekly or in some cases daily basis, as often experienced by Windows workstation users.

Ease of use - While UNIX has a particularly bad reputation regarding ease of use, this is actually not the case. The interfaces used in UNIX have developed and changed minimally over the years. Configuration in many cases is exactly as it was 30 years ago. Windows on the other hand, has been known to change the functionalty and location of configuration options entirely from version to version. There is a whole new learning curve to operate and administer a Windows machine with each new version of the OS, and sometimes even software releases.

Proven track record - UNIX has over 30 years in production environments. It has proven its usefulness and reliability year after year. In fact, UNIX systems were used to design and operate the Internet. Even nowadays, UNIX systems run the majority of the Internet, with specialized equipment like routers based heavily on their UNIX server predecessors. Windows on the other hand, has not had the experience and exposure to truly heavy production environments year after year.

Performance and efficiency - Over the course of the many years of UNIX, the OS has been rewritten and optimized for every situation. The source code is available in most cases, and allows individual users to further enhance features that are of particular interest to them. They are then encouraged to share these enhancements with the rest of the UNIX community which further strengthens the operating system. Windows is a closed system environment, and the best a user can hope for is to submit a suggestion, and hope it is approved for some later release of the software or operating system.

Support - While UNIX in many cases does not offer tech support, there are many forms of support for various projects. Email lists, message boards, searchable online documentation and project FAQ's are availble in most cases. Vendors will also support their own products with varius support plans. Windows charges $35 per incident for for personal support, and can climb to astronomical amounts for professional support. ($1225 for a "5-pack" of support incidents.) Online assistance is available from communities forWindows support for free.

For these reasons: security, reliability, ease of use, proven track record, performance and efficiency, and support, we have chosen UNIX as the proper platform to support the services you demand as a customer.