Subject: RE: Getting Linux into schools
From: Sean Closson (sclosson@MDGI.com)
Date: Wed May 08 2002 - 10:20:02 AKDT
Eloquent and on target Stephen. =20
I get razzed by some coworkers for being a "Linux geek" (I am, and =
proudly so), but these are very real hurdles that *any* NOS will have to =
overcome. =20
IMO, Microsoft didn't get in there because it had a better product =
(arguments could be made for almost anything else, such as Netware), or =
even that it had existing mind-share (I grew up with Apple IIe's in my =
school)... M$ got in there due to marketing. Once there, they got you =
hooked on platform specific apps until you *had* to go along with =
low-value upgrades, draconian licensing, and crappy security. =20
I would love to see Linux become more entrenched in this market, but I =
think it'll take some big players with good marketing resources. I =
foresee Linux making its way into education networks just like it has in =
others; slowly and almost invisibly. A fork-lift upgrade would be too =
critical and could actually look bad for Linux as a whole if mishandled.
Sean Closson
(obviously these are my opinions and I claim total responsibility for =
their crappyness)
-----Original Message-----
From: stephen king [mailto:sking@chartercollege.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 10:02 AM
To: 'Greg Madden '; 'aklug@aklug.org '
Subject: RE: Getting Linux into schools
<snip>
If someone came into your place of business and offered to replace the
OS on your computers with a system you knew nothing about would you go
for it :)
</snip>
That, actually, is a pretty major point. To get Linux into any major
Microsoft-based network requires going head-to-head with the Microsoft =
sales
pitches, which are incredibly effective and are also present throughout =
the
Microsoft Official Curriculum that many networkers have had. There are
basically two major arguments you've gotta get over:
1. Microsoft's new buzzword is "Total Cost of Ownership". Yes, you can
save significant money in licensing fees by switching to Linux, but =
those
fees are a rapidly-diminishing part of an IT Manager's budget as the
supported network grows larger. Basically...if you can save me 25% of =
10%
of my budget...that's only 2.5% overall. What costs IT departments far =
more
money is recruiting, training, and retaining quality people, and there's
where arguments could be made either direction. What a Microsoft shop
manager is gonna be thinking, though, is that if you replace his Network =
OS
that he and his people understand reasonably well with one that has a 6 =
to
12-month learning curve, where's the benefit? How much
fishing/golfing/other-weekend-activities time does he/she lose out on in =
the
transition? Are his/her kids gonna forget his/her name once and for =
all?
Once he/she gets a new Network OS...are all the apps they have running =
on
the Microsoft platform still going to work? Since the answer is =
'probably
not', is there comparable stuff with the new OS? Linux has a solution
there, but you've just added a new learning curve for EACH app. =20
2. Once you convince the manager that he/she needs to move over to a =
Linux
platform of some type, you get to deal with migration issues. Do you =
just
shut down all the Microsoft servers and restart them with a Red Hat CD =
in
them one weekend? No Sysadmin in his right mind is going to do that.
Phase-in with parallel platforms? Now you're talking a significant =
amount
more money up front, plus the fact that you've just doubled the total =
number
of apps his/her technicians have to support. Keep in mind, here, that =
apps
on large networks typically number not in the singles or the tens, but =
in
the hundreds, and a large majority of our time is spent with "How do I =
get
the Paperclip to come back to my Word?" types of questions.
Now, I'm not saying it's a not a good idea to run a Linux network. I am
saying, however, that there are some pretty complex issues when you look =
at
an existing network and suggest a move to something else. Typically, =
the
only reason to migrate a large network to something new is that what you
have is too painful to continue maintaining. Licensing fees, frankly, =
just
aren't that painful.
As always, IMHO--
Stephen
---------
To unsubscribe, send email to <aklug-request@aklug.org>
with 'unsubscribe' in the message body.
---------
To unsubscribe, send email to <aklug-request@aklug.org>
with 'unsubscribe' in the message body.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a23 : Wed May 08 2002 - 10:20:05 AKDT