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| How to Persuade Your Boss to Take the Linux Plunge |
| By AnchorDesk Staff: ZDNet AnchorDesk |
| Thursday, January 21, 1999 |
When my (admittedly wacky) staff tries to talk me into something, each one uses a different method. Tech Director Jon DeKeles argues the technical merits. Web doyenne Annette Hamilton tries to overwhelm me with cyber-buzzwords. Our GenX gadget guru Nicci Noteboom persuades with promises of fewer personal phone calls and coffee breaks.
But I'm a cold, hard, logical man (just ask my staff). And I respond best to cold, hard logic. Which brings me to Linux, subject of today's Special Edition. This open source software has generated lots of emotion. But if it is ever to join the mainstream as a bona fide rival to Windows NT, Linux will have to provide logical business reasons, not just religious zeal. Written eight years ago by Linus Torvalds, then a Finnish grad student, Linux is not only free but boasts a reputation for stability. "We in the engineering companies around NASA in Florida are seeing increased interest in Linux," writes system admin Kirt Merrill. "It is stable, and fast. The more people I talk to, the more I hear about Linux. Some have implemented, some are trying it more slowly." If you're a systems admin, you're already convinced Linux is worth a look at the very least. But you still have to convince the folks upstairs. Luckily, several recent developments make Linux more and more logical as a safe, corporate choice: Windows 2000: Microsoft's soon-to-be flagship product is faltering. Click for more. Reliability: For must-stay-up applications, Linux is less crash-prone than Windows NT. Such solidity is why, to cite but one example, retail chain Jay Jacobs is installing a Linux-based inventory management system. Click for more. Support: Until recently, Linux was a tough sell because product support was sketchy. No longer. Not with Caldera Systems, Informix and Red Hat Software distributing Linux. (Click for more.) Heck, even old boys IBM and Compaq Computer support the OS now. Click for more. Customizable: Because the source code isn't secret, Linux can be tailored to meet your company's needs. Click for more. Price: Depending on where you get it, Linux software costs nothing or almost nothing. Click for more. The real costs derive from monitoring and supporting the OS. And since Linux crashes less, support should cost less. Powerful arguments indeed. But first, a word of warning. Linux isn't for everybody. It's way too techie for lone desktops and small offices. Linux is a Unix offspring, so don't consider it unless you're a veteran computer user with Unix experience. Should you decide to tackle Linux, these are helpful resources: