| Interview: SuSE takes Linux battle to Microsoft [InfoWorld] |
Jan. 21, 2003
InfoWorld's Ed Scannell interviews new SuSE CEO Richard Seibt two days into he his new role. The discussion covers Desktop Linux's emerging challenge to Microsoft Windows and the role that SuSE's Linux Desktop will play . . .
"InfoWorld: What are the real short-term prospects for establishing even 10 percent share for Linux on the desktop?
Seibt: First we have to distinguish between enterprise customers and SMB [small and medium-size business] customers. If I look at the large enterprise customers like Daimler Chrysler, they have to think about who needs what kind of desktop. I would guess that about 60 percent of their desktops can easily be moved to a Linux-based desktop. All of the users they have are not heavy Excel users, and so they can do everything they need to do every day with something like Open Office. If you think about Star Alliance or Luftanser, they still use OS/2 as their main operating system for their entire network. Many users are not using Office applications, they are using 3270 applications or host applications, so there is no need at all for any local intelligence. They can easily live with a desktop based upon Linux. So I would guess that in the enterprise market, if we categorize the users by those who do not need Office and all these sophisticated applications like Excel, probably at least 60 percent can easily go to a Linux-based desktop. If I look at the SMB market, I think we have the perfect product with the Linux Office Desktop. On one hand they can use Linux and Star Office or Open Office."
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