Several companies have recently abandoned the prestigious Microsoft away, forcing the software giant pocket to discourage other customers to follow up.In this case, any competent chief information officer, and now should take the opportunity to look at Linux, or renovation to re-evaluate the company's IT assets.
Abandon Windows to switch to Linux, to really drive down IT total cost of ownership (TCO) it?Microsoft has roving seminars, and launched advertising campaign to convince chief information officers believe that it is absolutely not the same thing.But at the same time, a number of independent companies forthrightly with Microsoft to promote the opposite view.
TCO headache for the CIO might want to ask the so-called Linux cost savings argument is not a technological version of the Loch Ness monster - often heard people say, but rarely seen.
Services research firm Quocirca, said manager Dale Vile, whether desktop or server operating system, any switch to program evaluation, should be placed in an important framework.
He said: "You need to roughly know you want to achieve, and what the starting point. [To migrate to Linux] the most successful cases, is to do it as a project, rather than the whole batch conversion ... ... the migration of anyregard it must be based on the project, the project must be the same as the advance planning, and implementation of self-discipline required for the project. "
Accepted the recommendations of outside, either independent companies or other people's suggestions, help chief information officer making a decision.Richard Steel ICT manager in London said the company recently had to consider switching to open source software, despite the continued use of Microsoft software eventually, but the reference to the two sides before making a decision proposal.
"We appointed Net Projects provide advice, they strongly supported by the open source. We deliberately commissioned them to make the assessment, so that a party challenging decision-making process," he said.Microsoft and Capgemini has put forward another view, advocates continue to adopt Microsoft's software.
Of the IT environment must be re-assessed and regular analysis of Windows and Linux TCO is superior in terms of chief information officer, a major focus is the actual hands-on analysis.Yankee Group on the Windows and Linux TCO study found that although the respondents, over 50% of that done this type of analysis, but only 25% could answer with the key issues related to this topic.
Even diehard Windows users, aiming to take advantage of a competitive upgrade and do some camps TCO analysis, just in time.After all, the software operating system migration is usually converted one of the biggest financial burden, whether from Windows to switch to Linux, or from earlier versions of Windows upgrade to new version.Novell, business solutions for sales and marketing manager Brian Green said: "More and more using an older version [Windows server software] to find people we are talking about."
Vile believes that doing this kind of analysis must be considered a major factor, it is more in the system implementation, operation on the current expenditure, and the necessary combination of technologies such as the relative costs.
Vile suggested, do not just focus on the level of licensing fees.He said: "a macro perspective, the importance of relatively minor licensing fees." However, even if only a relatively small, it must be considered carefully, and perhaps important enough to encourage managers to replace the operating system."
Of course, security is to make Windows and the Linux community is a major headache, trouble source.With the growing research report concluded that some of Windows more secure, and some concluded that Linux is more secure, a confusing number of chief information security officer may wish to consider the theme - after all, due to failure shut down time is a major factor in increasing TCO.IT managers should keep in mind is that the relative seriousness of the attack and possibility, and how to fix if the attack strikes, work stoppages cost and how much.
Bring security, proprietary software and open source software is better, no conclusion can never debate.One said, Linux has many volunteers can always check the security vulnerability, but the other said Linux also left many loopholes for hackers a chance to start.Should bear in mind is that, usually, two types of operating systems have measures to avoid security problems.
Yankee Group research report shows, Windows server downtime due to cost, Linux server, similar to the fault more than the cost of thousands of dollars higher per hour, because information stored on Windows servers are usually associated with significant business information.If the review of the practice of information storage, can help reduce this cost.Director of platform strategy at Microsoft NickMcGrath said: "When local time is always expensive."
Similarly, most caused by one of the criticisms of Linux security issues - the lack of document explains (lack of documentation) - may constitute a temporary obstacle, but with the participation of large software companies to improve the well-known, the problem may subsequently eased.IDC predicts that by 2008, Linux server sales are expected to increase in the average rate of 22%, higher than the rest of the server, only 3% of estimated average growth rate.
Application is ready to switch to Linux, you must carefully consider the other points.And if the applications used in industry must be especially ordered, and this situation is the norm rather than exception words, Linux is clearly more attractive, because the application of the obstacles have been unloaded, but the installed applications using existing Microsoft-compatiblewho may take a different view.Gartner research vice president Michael Silver said, consider replacing the operating system before the application should be taken into account the costs of migration.
He said: "Application migration is the most cost - applications need to gather a certain number in order to obtain the best return on investment." Silver added that the company used the total number of applications is usually underestimated, and suggestedEnterprises may wish to divide by ten the number of users, to the company the number of applications using a rough understanding.
Finally, the point must be considered is the chief information officer was not that easy to find qualified people to manage the operating system of your choice.Linux in the corporate world increasingly popular recently, but Linux and technical personnel to increase the market has not followed the pace of acceleration.Earlier this year, silicon.com technical staff survey (Skills Survey) show that approximately 16% of respondents said that, Linux technical staff in short supply, 12% said that Windows talent.
Novell's Green said that when looking for technical personnel can be said that "a penny, a sub-product."
He said: "The professionals have a certain market, no matter what kind of platform are the same. To the number of engineers in terms of investment in Linux, a very considerable increase in the independent software vendor (ISV) community in particular, significantly ... ... Linux skills accreditedtalent is in short supply, but the numbers gradually rose. "
Personnel costs may increase Linux's TCO, but the legal disclaimer (indemnification) - on Linux the protection of intellectual property lawsuits for compensation - for most businesses are unlikely to pose a problem.SMEs without the employment lawsuits affected, large enterprises can also be made to a number of large Linux company with the product to ensure the protection of the legal disclaimer.
Although the re-assessment of the operating system may not result in changes in corporate IT infrastructure, but to conduct a re-assessment of the potential additional benefits.For example, Steel found, re-assessment process made by in-house IT requirements more attention, and led the company to review the IT requirements of the policy.
Consider the renovation of the operating system for large enterprises, threatened to walk out, to renegotiate with Microsoft, software licensing fees, it might be useful to a move.
Yankee Group analyst Laura DiDio said, as if using Linux, and Microsoft may be a powerful bargaining chip in negotiations."There are customers Litigation me:" You know my Linux strategy is?I use it to force Microsoft's concessions.'You know the results?It really works."