Red Hat is a success story for troubled times. The economy falters? No problem. Southern Europe on the brink of collective bankruptcy? Sure, but sales are growing there anyway. Corporate IT budgets trimming down? Hey, that's actually a business opportunity!

The company provides a low-cost alternative to the high-margin enterprise software suites you'd normally buy from Microsoft , Oracle , and IBM . IT directors have started to realize that the lower price doesn't come with the usual quality drop. Red Hat's open-source operating systems, database tools, storage management platforms, and other business-grade products are every bit as good as the traditional, proprietary stuff they're replacing.

That's how and why the company can thrive in the face of macroeconomic headwinds.

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