Linux vs Windows - Conquering a Windows Based World

The Illinois based banking conglomerate, Metropolitan Bank Group, has successfully moved from Microsoft to Suse Linux. Its complete infrastructure is almost entirely based on Linux now. Because they grew via acquisitions they found that they were spending vast amounts of time in the field bringing remote locations into the infrastructure. To alleviate this problem Tom Johnson, IT Director, began a complete migration from Windows to Linux. Mr. Johnson saw an immediate increase the stability, efficiency, and a decrease expenditures with the migration. His advice

“Take a migration to Linux slowly. Work on proofs of concept. That way, if something blows up, it’s not huge. It’s called a migration for a reason”

Sounds like successful project overall, for more detailed information the full story is at http://www.linux.com

The South African Bank Company Tanzania, has recently migrated to Novell Open Enterprise server on Suse Linux.  The migration was completed by www.NetCB.com (Networking Collaboration in Business), an innovative IT company in Pretoria South Africa that includes Open Source Technology in the solutions they provide, when it makes sense.

“Novell’s SUSE Linux platform is a secure and reliable foundation for enterprise computing from the desktop to the data centre. It delivers powerful solutions built on open standards for all of the most important technology arenas within today’s enterprise, from data centre, workgroup and desktop, to security and identity, and resource management.”

Around 560,000 students in 33 German Universities will soon be running SuSe Linux Enterprise Desktop Platform! Covered at ComputerWeekly.

The move is designed to give the colleges a cheaper sytem whilst also giving them a more flexible IT architecture when compared to other proprietary software.

I think universities in the United States should be sending some of their IT guys to Germany to see how well this is going to work out.  A definite thumbs up to Germany and Novell!

Electronics giant Casio Computer is reducing costs and consolidating servers by using XEN virtualization and Suse Linux Enterprise server. Basically they are able to reduce software and hardware costs by combining many underutilized hardware servers images on a single physical server. A quote from Norihito Kuniyoshi, managing director of Casio Information Service Co. Ltd.

“Based on our initial results, we estimate the software cost of Xen and SUSE Linux Enterprise for virtualizing Windows systems is just 10 percent of competitor solutions”

Since last year Lenova has been offering Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop on its high end T60p THinkpad. In July 2007 the new T61p will be certified to run Suse Linux, Rehdat, and TurboLinux. Covered at DeskTopLinux

BMW will be using Suse Linux and Zen virtualization for data center solutions to reduce hardware costs and simplify deployment. Covered by a Novell press release.

“The BMW Group is taking advantage of what the market is just discovering, that Xen open source virtualization software fully integrated in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is a viable alternative to proprietary virtualization solutions, providing high performance at a lower cost,” said Roger Levy, vice president and general manager of Open Platform Solutions for Novell”

Novell’s Suse Linux has been selected by San Diego Unified School District as their standard platform to help children achieve academic success. Why was Suse Linux selected?

• Reliable
• Ease of use and administration
• Affordable

They are the second largest school district in California.

“This mobile computing program will help students develop the cognitive tools they will need to compete in the global economy,” said Dan Wolfson, program manager of Educational Technology for The Office of the Deputy Superintendent of San Diego City Schools, in a statement.”

PSA Peugeot Citroen which is a leading car manufacturer in Europe has contracted Ericom to install up to 20,000 computers with Novell Suse Linux and their Power Term application.  Covered at www.earthtimes.org.

“When engaging with PSA Peugeot Citroen to establish SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop as their next-generation desktop platform, we found that Ericom’s PowerTerm has been a critical component of the overall solution,” said Roger Levy, Novell vice president and general manager of Open Platform Solutions. 

The United States Department of Transportation has prohibited tens of thousands of federal workers from upgrading to Microsoft’s newest flagship product line. The reason as to why there is an “an indefinite moratorium” on the upgrades.

1. There appears to be no compelling technical or business case for upgrading.
2. Furthermore, there appears to be specific reasons not to upgrade.
3. Compatibility with software applications currently in use.
4. Cost of an upgrade.

Sound familiar?

And the alternatives are…

1. Novell’s Suse Linux
2. Apple’s Macintosh hardware and software

This is all covered in InformationWeek

“Citing concerns over cost and compatibility, the top technology official at the federal Department of Transportation has placed a moratorium on all in-house computer upgrades to Microsoft’s new Windows Vista operating system, as well as Internet Explorer 7 and Office 2007, according to a memo obtained Friday by InformationWeek. “

Anyone think Microsoft spends more on marketing and lobbyists than on developing software? Have a feeling we’ll see more lobbyists at D.O.T. headquarters in Washington D.C. next week.

Suse Linux on Intel platform is the choice for the (IRD) Inland Revenue Department for its compliance driven electronic document management project. They had been using Unix for 15 years so most skills are transferable according to Huckerby, the national manager for business management services.

“Linux has been the preferred platform for new development of systems of this kind for a number of years,” Huckerby says. “Our standard operating environment lists Linux as the prime candidate for an operating system for our servers in the mid- and network-tiers of our architecture — where the electronic records and document management system sits,” she says.