Motor giant Ford to move to Linux

The Register ^ | 09/15/03 | John Lettice

[Salo]

Motor giant Ford to move to Linux By John Lettice Posted: 15/09/2003 at 16:56 GMT

Motor giant Ford is switching to Linux for its sales systems, human resources, customer relations and infrastructure, according to a report in yesterday's Scotland on Sunday. But although the company is undoubtedly a megawin for Linux, Register sources suggest that the real battle was between the Linux vendors, with maybe just a soupcon of Sun.

Ford is of course a global company, with major sites in the US, Germany and the UK. Our understanding is that the battle boiled down to one between Red Hat and SuSE, with the signs earlier this year being that Red Hat might just have got the deal. Ford seemed to want a Red Hat systems admin in Detroit back in January, anyway, but it'd maybe make some sense to use the local player in Germany, and our sources claim SuSE and Red Hat both pitched in the States, so you could maybe view the job as being more about bringing Linux servers into the infrastructure than specifically running Red Hat.

Whoever won, the contract is a serious step forward for Linux in the corporporate market, but it can really only be seen as a defeat for Microsoft if you count not being seriously considered as being a defeat. But presumably there are still going to be Windows clients in there - by coincidence, we note that this quarter Dell will begin saving the company from the legacy diskette drive. Ford standardised on Dell for Intel clients in 1999.

[Salo]

Looks like one for the Pengiun Peeps.

[Salo]

A flock of Penguins, please.

[B Knotts]

I'm guessing Ford isn't worried about SCO.

[Salo]

Why would they? :-)

[rdb3]

The Penguin Ping.

Wanna be Penguified? Just holla!

Got root?

[B Knotts]

That's what I'm saying...that Ford knows that SCO's suit is baseless.

[Salo]

I know - I'm just enjoying it with you.

[per loin]

Henry smiles in his grave.

[_Jim]

WHO wants to bet that this is just a 'trial run' for a small part of the company to 'try' LINUX?

I actually have *no* idea if this is or isn't - I'm just playing based on past performance of the big guys ...

[jimkress]

This report is completely unsubstantiated. An examination of both Detroit newspapers finds no mention of this 'move to Linux', anywhere. If it were as major as the author hopes, it would be big news in Detroit.

Note: in my 14 years at Ford we used to have regular chuckle sessions over similar headlines about Ford 'changing direction'. Invariably the real facts behind the story were that a part of Ford decided to experiment with new software. The vendor (or the reporter) then blew the sale all out of proportion.

This is probably what we are seeing in this case. While Ford may be thinking about using Linux as a server solution, a transition to Linux as a desktop solution is vastly unlikely.

And, before the Linux zealots start flaming me, I am posting this reply from the head node of my LINUX based beowulf cluster, currently running RedHat v7.3 (with an appropriately upgraded kernel).

So, yes, I've got root.

[Salo]

They'd have to be masochists to do linux on the desktop. :-)

I dunno if the whole story is true or not: I report, you decide, but it's great to have an insider comment.

I hope it's true, though.

While Ford may be thinking about using Linux as a server solution, a transition to Linux as a desktop solution is vastly unlikely.

[bicycle thug]

This is ironic as Windows in many ways is F.O.R.D. material. (Found On Road Dead)

[Coral Snake]

Not only are they probably not afraid of SCO, they probably read all those Bill Parish reports about Microsoft. Just won a real knock down drag out with TheEngineer with them. All he could come up with was some nonsense about those reports equating Enron's emulating Microsoft's stock issuence practices with Kennedy assassination "tin foil hat" conspiracy theories!!! Glad to be back with the penguins. These SCO/M$ trolls are LOONS.

[CodeMonkey]

I'm guessing Ford isn't worried about SCO.

SCO's stock value doesn't even qualify as pocket change for one of the big car makers....

[Salo]

Son, that's First On Race Day. :-)

[steve-b]

I'm guessing Ford isn't worried about SCO.

Maybe Ford is hoping to get in on the counter-suit action when SCO can no longer avoid having to either 1)identify the allegedly "infringing" code, or 2)'fess up that it was talking up a frivolous lawsuit as part of a pump-n-dump scam.

[Golden Eagle]

Like many of these overseas reports boasting of Linux and/or slamming M$, according to this statement from Ford, it is incorrect:

"Ford Motor is looking at Linux, primarily in the application space. We presently have an enterprise-wide agreement with Microsoft to handle our collaborative solutions. We aren't contemplating using Linux in this area, and don't contemplate doing that in the foreseeable future."

http://newsforge.com/newsforge/03/09/15/228202.shtml?tid=3

[justlurking]

This is ironic as Windows in many ways is F.O.R.D. material. (Found On Road Dead)

I thought it was Fix Or Repair Daily.

That does indeed describe Windows. :-)

[PatrioticAmerican]

"Pengiun Peeps"

LOL.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Funny, I always thought of Linux as a F.O.R.D., F***** Over Remodeled DOS.