For many, thinking about technology is still synonymous with futurology. Perhaps due to the non-linear evolution that sometimes surprises us, or the disruptions that suddenly change the course of what seemed predictable, there are still those who believe it’s impossible to anticipate the next wave. And worse: that it doesn’t even make sense to try.
However, when we look closer, we notice that the history of technology hasn’t been a completely unpredictable journey. Beyond major leaps, its progress has been sustained by discreet yet decisive foundations. This is where an uncomfortable truth emerges: innovating isn’t enough; we must also carefully choose where to implement this innovation so it doesn’t crumble with the first change of tide.
In technology, attention can’t only be on today; it must also be on the future. Based on this, the idea of a time-tested infrastructure makes sense. And it doesn’t require magic or divination. It requires strategy. We need sensitivity to look beyond ‘bits and bytes’ and understand that beneath everything visible lies a critical layer that cannot fail.
Many people think about cloud, artificial intelligence, automation, and microservices. But what holds all this together? What is the common layer that allows applications to run, systems to communicate with each other, and data to travel securely from one end of the planet to the other? This layer—this digital backbone—has a name rarely mentioned outside the technical world, yet it makes all this possible: the operating system.
Without glamour or marketing, the operating system has been for decades the bridge between hardware and software, between ideas and their execution. No matter how revolutionary a new application is—without a robust, secure, and adaptable operating system, it won’t make it to production. There’s no trust. There’s no scale. There’s no future.
Today, this layer becomes even more important because we’re entering a hybrid era where traditional and modern environments must coexist. An era where technical talent is scarce, budgets are tight, and cyberattacks are increasing; automation isn’t a luxury but a necessity; and AI is no longer an experiment but a driver of competitive advantage.
So why don’t we talk more about the operating system? Why don’t we acknowledge that a decision as ‘basic’ as choosing the right system can be what enables—or hinders—innovation? The answer may lie in its nature: the operating system is invisible, yet it’s everywhere. And like everything essential, we tend to forget it… until something goes wrong.
Therefore, it’s worth taking a closer look at what it means to rely on a future-ready operating system. One that doesn’t just execute processes but can become the true enabler of sustained digital transformation.
All this can be found in Enterprise Linux, a Linux distribution built from carefully selected content, rigorously tested and validated within a broad ecosystem of hardware and software partners. Unlike many community-provided distributions, Enterprise Linux offers not just innovation and performance but also continuous security, technical support, and proven stability. It’s the foundation upon which organizations can build fearlessly, knowing they can scale, modernize, and evolve without losing control. Because the future can’t be improvised. It’s being built. And every great construction starts with a solid foundation.
Evolving with the market
This vision isn’t just theoretical. It’s backed by decades of adoption and trust. According to data from IDC, 56% of companies using public clouds and 49% operating in private clouds rely on Enterprise Linux as their base operating system, precisely for the additional services it provides.
A leader in this market for over 25 years, Red Hat continuously reinvents Enterprise Linux to stay at the forefront. Not as an isolated piece, but as connective tissue between the past, present, and technological future.
Its latest release, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, is a concrete response to today’s most pressing challenges. Its strength comes from the power of open source: a model combining transparency, collaboration, and innovation to anticipate problems, not just react to them. This enables companies to build solutions ready for a world where artificial intelligence and quantum computing will cease to be futuristic topics and become the new normal.
The impact goes beyond the technical. Report from IDC shows that companies standardizing their infrastructure on Red Hat Enterprise Linux gain tangible benefits: operational savings, increased productivity, performance improvements, and enabling new initiatives. This is estimated to translate into profits equivalent to $26 million annually, with a return on investment (ROI) of 313% over three years.
Decisions guided by innovation
The new version of the operating system represents a significant step in helping organizations tackle important current challenges, such as containing deviations, making better decisions early in the service lifecycle, strengthening security, intelligently automating, and reducing reliance on highly specialized skills thanks to AI-based tools.
But this goes beyond infrastructure. Modernizing a company’s digital foundation has a real impact on people’s lives. From protecting banking data to the smooth operation of delivery apps and the efficiency of virtual assistants in call centers, everything depends—silently—on the robustness of the operating system in the background.
In a world where more devices are connected daily and astronomical volumes of data are generated, any failure in this backbone can have enormous consequences for businesses and consumers. Thus, advances in operating systems don’t just transform organizations: they also improve the digital experience of millions, helping solve today’s challenges and opening doors to the future.
