Posted on the Linux India by Frederick Noronha and archived here.

Linux is not important only from the free point of view. It is powerful and robust. It is also flexible and gives you the power to modify. This is important to some; since most commercial
software are US-based. “We need something that can be customised to our taste and requirements,” says executive editor of the Bombay-based IT Vision publication Prakash Advani.

In addition, Linux has a very low cost of ownership, Advani points out. You don’t pay per client licence, you don’t pay for every upgrade, addon or features. Once you set it up it requires very little maintenance. As if this were not enough, it’s free. “People associate free with low quality. That has to change,” says Advani.