[Wftl-lug] Vista

[Michael Willems]

Harry,

Indeed. And don't get me wrong - they get OSS on the server and product side (as mentioned, we are all OSS based - I do occasionally need to fight for that, but those fights I win. The "free beer" and "free speech" advantages are both compelling). It;s the GUI side that is "all MS, all the time" fpor most senior execs.

But I bet that over 99% of the world's senior execs (all C-level except possibly CTO) use Windows and MS Office. They buy the Kool-Aid. Bill has better PR than we do.

MW



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Harry Holt 
  To: The WFTL LUG 
  Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 2:24 PM
  Subject: Re: [Wftl-lug] Vista


  You'd better make sure your fellow executives are paying attention to the competition.  If they are dismissing open source out-of-hand, as you describe, they will soon be left behind, and will be crushed by the competition that has streamlined their IT operations to be more cost effective, agile, and enhances productivity for their workers. 

  Companies are starting to realize that their IT infrastructure can be just as effective (if not more so) using commodity software.  Then instead of sending increasing amounts of money to Redmond for ever-increasing license fees, they can target that spending to provide customized and personal service from the many vendors and experts that support open source software. 

  It's not me saying these things - it's Gartner and other big, well-respected IT and business consulting firms.  (check out http://agendabuilder.gartner.com/os2/webpages/Home.aspx ).

  According to Gartner:

    a.. By 2010, 75 percent of mainstream IT shops will have a formal open source acquisition policy in place. 
    b.. By 2008, open source will compete with closed source in every infrastructure market. 
    c.. By 2010, mainstream IT shops will consider open source for 80 percent of their infrastructure software needs. 
    d.. By 2010, mainstream IT shops will consider open source for 25 percent of their business software needs. 
  If your company is NOT developing an open source strategy, how are you going to compete?

  ... HH


  On 3/4/07, Michael Willems < Michael.Willems at digitalview.com> wrote: 
    So - my brand-new laptop now runs Vista. Why not Linux?  It would be helpful for you to give me any feedback you have.

    Why do I run Vista, and not Linux?

    Curiosity - I am very practical and until I know something by hands-on experience, I do not really know it. I now konw a lot more about Vista.

    Borg - my company will be using Vista, whether I like it or not. A CTO cannot impose OS choices - affect them at best, and affecting ain't gonna do it - we will be using Vista. So I may as well know about the issues - may be able to slow down implementation (eg by pointing out cost). My desktop machine at the office runs Ubunto 6.10, btw.

    Cost. I was about to buy the equivalent Mac laptop, but $2200 pre-tax vs #3200 pre-tax for the same class machine.

    GUI. Windows has a cute and consistent interface, so does Mac. Linux is not quite there (try adding a font to Ubuntu and then using it in multiple apps).

    And the main one: Apps. Apps. And Apps. There are still apps I really need - a decreasing list fortunately, but not a zero list. Canon DPP. Corel Draw. TomTom software. Until these are available for Linux or Mac, I am stuck. I don't think running Windows on a Mac is quite the solution yet, is it?

    So - I entirely agree this is sub-optimal. But I feel that overall I have little choice.

    I feel that other CTOs who do this are cowards - but then I look at myself, and see that I really do not have much choice. I have been fighting for yewars to get OOo adopted. Well, I and a few of my techies use it. but this has seriously damaged my credibility as a senior Exec of my company (my other execs all believe the MS FUD and not me).

    So how can I fight this without getting fired? Examples would help (not "a library in Utah is using Linux", but "GE has switched to Linux" - THT would be good. Pointing out the cost would help (Vista is buggy, expensive, etc)

    Any other ideas?




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  -- 
  Harry Holt, PMP 


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