Ubuntu 12.04 review

The Ubuntu One cloud storage locker can also be accessed from Windows, Android and iOS devices with Canonical releasing free clients for the respective operating systems. Canonical offers a $2.99/month package for 20GB or a $3.99/month package which adds music streaming capabilities to Android and iOS devices on top of the 20GB space.

Server support

Canonical has also released a server version of Ubuntu 12.04. This doesn't include a windows manager by default and is geared towards enterprises considering deploying a cloud infrastructure. Canonical pre-announced the inclusion of its AWSOME APIs in Ubuntu 12.04. This allows users to develop applications which can make use of OpenStack clouds and Amazon Web Services, while its Metal-as-a-Service initiative claims to make physical server deployment easier.

Prior to the launch of Ubuntu 12.04, Canonical announced HP would be certifying Ubuntu 12.04 on a range of its Proliant servers, meaning HP will provide support for certified Proliant servers running Ubuntu 12.04. HP's support for Ubuntu 12.04 should help its adoption in the lucrative Linux server market.

HP has thrown its support behind Ubuntu 12.04

Canonical's push into the Linux server market with Ubuntu 12.04 puts it up against Red Hat, the biggest enterprise Linux vendor. Those who don't want to splash out on Red Hat's Enterprise Linux have a free alternative in the form of CentOS. Ubuntu 12.04 has a lot of ground to cover before it can match the popularity of CentOS and the revenue generation capabilities of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, but it does have clear advantages.