Posted on 12/08/2003 4:08:15 PM PST by NCjim
Bad day at the Office for Microsoft...
One in four small companies are testing Linux, and half of them hope to use it as their core operating system in place of Windows, according to a survey by IBM.
The companies surveyed believe the open-source operating system will not only save them money, but will be more secure, stable and flexible.
However, the move away from Microsoft is also being assessed by both medium-sized and large organisations.
Microsoft has enjoyed absolute dominance in the desktop market for more than two decades, but there are signs that the company's stranglehold may have peaked, as both small and large organisations seriously consider alternatives. Windows is not the only loser in this evolution, as Unix and other platforms, such as Novell Netware, also face being replaced.
Unsurprisingly, smaller companies find it easer to adapt to new platforms and have been among the first to embrace Linux because they have a relatively simple migration path and can realise any benefits very quickly. TTS, a UK-based shipping company, has just twelve employees and recently began moving its systems to SuSE.
Dougie Bryce, TTS's director, said the company had grown dramatically over the past few years and needed to upgrade some systems to keep better track of freight. He said TTS decided to use Linux with IBM xSeries servers because it was a more flexible and efficient combination.
"Linux frees us from being tied to a single hardware or software vendor and helps us reduce costs. We can adapt our IT systems to suit our freighting business requirements as needed. Without such a move there is no doubt we could not have coped as efficiently with our growth," he said.
Research group IDC said last week that between July and September 2003, there was a 16 per cent rise in Linux server shipments in terms of spending, and a 32 per cent increase in terms of units. This compares to a 5 per cent increase in spending on Windows and a 26 per cent increase in Windows units. The figures indicate significant discounting of the Microsoft products.
The survey published by IBM claims that one in four companies with between 100 and 1,000 employees is currently using Linux, and half of them are expecting it to become their core operating system. However, a time frame for migration was not given.
Nick Davis, Linux x-Series sales manager at IBM, told ZDNet UK that the small business market used to be very concerned about switching to Linux, but with more support from large software vendors and hardware manufacturers, they have become more willing to take a chance:
"Applications from the likes of SAP, Sage and Peoplesoft are coming out for Linux, so there is a lot more confidence now."
Davis said that Hill House Hammond, an insurance broker with more than 200 retail outlets in the UK, was one of the UK's first medium-sized companies to make the move to Linux, and has since enjoyed significant cost savings.
"Under the old regime, they had one technical person for every 50 employees because they needed someone in each of their shops to do the administration, reboot the servers etc. etc. Now, they have one technical person for every 500 employees," he said.
Davis explained that although experienced Linux engineers may be more expensive than their Microsoft counterparts, companies that switch over to Linux don't need as many. "Their time is spent developing applications and moving the business forward rather than maintaining, supporting and keeping the old system up and running," he said.
I believe this headline is deceptive. It implies that half of all small firms "want to ditch Windows". Then the first paragraph says:
One in four small companies are testing Linux, and half of them hope to use it as their core operating system in place of Windows, according to a survey by IBM. (emphasis added)
Linux proponents should not need to be deceptive to generate interest. Linux is currently the best alternative to Microsoft, and though I'm a Microsoft user and expect that to continue, I like it when Microsoft has competition. It makes them sharper and more responsive. But Linux will not grow to be an effective competitor by having its supporters, as they sometimes do, exaggerate or deceive to get people to use it.
When I read that, I think I interpreted it different than you. I don't believe he means a single vendor now -- with 12 people, that's pretty easy. But, using Linux means that he wouldn't be locked into a single hardware or software vendor for future upgrades or growth.
But in Unix based systems, the ineffeciencies are more internally driven by measure of ratio internal to extrenal. That internal nature means they MAY be connected to producitivity and marketing improvements. Or they may not -- unix is more prone to make-workism, prettying, feeding one's individual proclivities that are unrelated to actual production gains.
MS doesn't suffer the same indulgences -- because they are driving you so hard externally, you can't afford to be far off the mark from common practise.
IOW, Unix admin can be efficient, a business force multiplier. Or it can be a money hole full of flakes and quikry jerks. MS can't be the force multplier that Unix can, but the heavy external forcing function drives the operational staff into regular and predictable habits and dispositions.
The world of Unix administration would be greatly improved if the unix mavens began adapting the very effective work and management habits of mainframers.
I like linux, but I can't find the time to learn and apply it to the 2 servers and 200 desktops I support.
When I said the same thing about Microsoft's puff piece in Tech Central Station, your response was to tell me to prove it or shut up. You even stayed in denial after I proved it. I suppose I could do the same thing here, but I won't.
'lelio' is right, what that guy said came right out of the pen of an IBM PR flack; nobody talks like that. They stuck that under his nose and told him his company would get ten minutes of fame if he signed on.
This is a new thing for Microsoft. They are screwing with somebody their own size for a change. FUD will beget FUD, lawsuits will beget lawsuits. Sit back, grab some popcorn, and watch the show. This could be fun.
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