Linux almost triples retail market share

NEWS The number of computerised cash registers using the Linux operating system grew by 185 per cent in 2002, according to a study released on Wednesday, but Linux still has only four per cent of the overall market. Linux lags behind Microsoft Windows, which has 69 per cent of the total market for point-of-sale terminals, and IBM's 4690 operating system, with 17 per cent, according to a study by IHL Consulting Group. "Linux is starting to gain traction in several segments, such as restaurants... but at only four per cent of total shipments in 2002, it still has a long way to go before being a serious contender," IHL President Greg Buzek said in a statement. In addition, few companies that embraced Linux decided to do so across their entire chain of stores, the study said. Point-of-sale terminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated networked computers, often equipped with bar-code readers and credit-card readers. When customers buy goods, the terminals send information to back-end servers that update inventory and financial records. The overall point-of-sale market in the US decreased two per cent from 2001 to 2002. IBM in particular is an advocate of Linux in the point-of-sale market. Stephen Shankland writes for News.com