AT&T’s 2016 Ubuntu selection was for cloud, network, and enterprise applications—not a documented switch away from Windows across the company. Canonical announced on 13 January 2016 that AT&T had selected it to provide Ubuntu and engineering support for the carrier’s cloud and network innovation effort.
What AT&T selected Ubuntu to do
Canonical’s 13 January 2016 announcement described a targeted enterprise decision: Ubuntu operating-system support and engineering help for AT&T’s cloud, network, and enterprise applications. It did not describe a company-wide operating-system change or say that AT&T was replacing Windows on employee desktops.
The distinction matters: selecting Linux for infrastructure or application workloads does not, by itself, establish what operating system a company uses for office computers. The announcement supports the former scope, not a conclusion about AT&T’s desktop fleet.
Why Ubuntu was selected
Canonical attributed the choice to Ubuntu’s innovation and performance for scale-out workloads and cloud. AT&T executive Toby Ford, then Assistant Vice President of Cloud Technology, Strategy and Planning, emphasized open-source principles, OpenStack innovation, and a simpler, more modular approach to scaling.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
“By tapping into the latest technologies and open principles, AT&T’s network of the future will deliver what our customers want, when they want it.”
“We’re reinventing how we scale by becoming simpler and modular, similar to how applications have evolved in cloud data centers.”
Both quotations were reproduced in Canonical’s announcement. The source does not offer a direct Ubuntu-versus-Windows evaluation, nor does it say the selection was based on price, security, or categorical superiority over Windows.
What the announcement does—and does not—establish
- Established: Canonical said AT&T selected Ubuntu and engineering support for cloud, network, and enterprise applications in 2016.
- Not established: That AT&T replaced Windows throughout the company, including on employee PCs.
- Not established: Whether the 2016 selection remains in use today. The announcement is historical and does not confirm current deployment status.
How to interpret the OpenStack statistic
Canonical’s announcement also stated that “Over 80% of the large-scale OpenStack deployments today are on Ubuntu.” That was a figure published by Canonical in January 2016; the announcement did not identify an underlying study or give the statistic a separate publication date. It should not be read as a current market share or as independently verified data.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchBottom line on Ubuntu versus Windows
AT&T’s reported choice was a workload-specific enterprise selection: Ubuntu for cloud, network, and enterprise applications, with Canonical engineering support. It is not evidence of an organization-wide Windows replacement, and the 2016 announcement does not show what AT&T runs today.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
