Mac OS still waiving its flag as the top alternative to a Microsoft’s Windows operating system according to a survey of 1,142 IT professionals conducted in March of this year.

Research conducted by Dimensional Research sponsored by KACE System Management shows that there is a big increase of participants who want to consider another operating systems as alternative to Windows OS.

The number of participants who are already in the process of switching operating systems is up from previous years, according to the research firm.

Asked if they had considered the possibility of deploying any non-Windows operating system, a 50 percent jump over previous survey said they had considered alternatives.

Mac OS remains the most likely alternative operating system, according to the research result.

In place of Vista and Windows 7, Mac OS gets 28% in 2007 and 29% in 2008 a declined of 2% from this year surveyed.

Microsoft