| Free whitepaper helps enterprises migrate to Linux desktops |
by Mark Lachniet (Aug. 25, 2004)
Consulting security engineer and Linux strategist Mark Lachniet has released a comprehensive feasibility study aimed at enterprises contemplating a move to Linux desktops. Lachniet is making the study available as a free download from DesktopLinux.com in order to promote understanding and dialogue on the pros and cons of migrating to the Linux desktop, and to provide a full scope and understanding of the issues.
Lachiet, who advises corporate clients on open source technology strategies, proposes a well defined and reasoned methodology for achieving success in moving the enterprise to Linux desktops.
In the free whitepaper, Lachniet explores Open Source Software from several perspectives: - Vendor support -- Many commercial and non-commercial sources of support for Linux and Open Source Software now exist. Based on the continued participation of key industry players such as IBM and Novell, it is probable that this support will not only maintained at the current level, but increased significantly over time.
- Software maturity -- While arguably not as mature as entrenched vendors such as Microsoft, Open Source Software has made significant strides in terms of stability, maturity and interoperability. It is believed that the current Open Source options can meet most, if not all, of an enterprise's information technology needs. For those areas where viable alternatives do not exist, several alternate means of providing Windows software to Open Source platforms exist. Lastly, the viability of Open Source Software on the desktop has improved drastically in the last year.
- Independence -- Due to the market domination of Microsoft, enterprises are at risk of suffering from vendor lock-in. This dependence on a single vendor can have a number of negative impacts, including unfavorable software licensing terms, reliance on predefined feature sets and increased information security risks, among others.
- Cost -- The cost justification for migrating to Open Source Software is rapidly improving. Based on preliminary findings, both in this study and in others, it would appear that the cost of converting to Open Source Software has reached a break even point. In terms of software costs alone, Open Source Software is already much more cost-effective. Unfortunately, software costs alone do not represent the true costs of Open Source Software -- a number of other factors such as conversion cost, training, and implementation must be considered. While a full conversion may not be justifiable simply on cost at this time, a measured and rational conversion over time could well lead to significant cost savings.
Lachniet's recommendations for companies that are making a decision on the desktop include defining specific criteria for migration decisions, establishing a project management plan and capabilities assessment, rolling out a Linux desktop pilot program that accomodates a phased approach to implementation company-wide, and developing a Linux support system.
Please noteThe free 38-page whitepaper is a "sanitized" version of a report written by Lachniet for a client in the summer of 2004. In the whitepaper, the client company's name has changed to "Lachniet Dot Com" (LDC).
Download the whitepaper here:
Desktop Linux Feasibility Study Overview
Addenda to the whitepaper are available here:
The whitepaper and associated addenda, as well as portions of the above text, are copyright © 2004, Mark Lachniet. All rights reserved. Reproduced by DesktopLinux.com with permission.
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