Can't Companies Deploy Linux Distributions? instead of sweating while trying to figure out which Windows to use

[mm22 0]

I refer to this piece of news. Microsoft is backtracking from previous announcements and is now offering XP support until at least April 2011 for new PCs equipped with the Microsoft OS. As support for Vista is still poor and Windows 7 still some time away, many organization have been sticking to Windows XP for their software deployments. The way it works is buying a license for Windows Vista (and later on perhaps Windows 7) and downgrade it to XP, this is already done by computer manufacturers. The previous cutoff time for this practice was April 2010.

This got me wondering: Where is exactly the reason why companies don't turn to Linux systems for their computers? After all that would save them thousands of dollars in licensing and those dollars could be invested in purchasing nice and hassle-free Linux distributions. I think the answer will be software compatibility as most specialized software is only available for Windows.

Can that change in the near future? Could it make any sense for developers and software houses to start developing with Linux in mind when it comes to specialized software to be deployed to large companies?

[HDuffRules 0]

Certain colleges and universities have started adding machines with Ubuntu in their computer labs next to Windows XP and OSX, simply because there is now enough open-source software to make the systems viable for mainstream everyday use. Applications for specialized purposes that will run on Linux is probably the next logical step.

[truefusion 3]

I refer to this piece of news. Microsoft is backtracking from previous announcements and is now offering XP support until at least April 2011 for new PCs equipped with the Microsoft OS.

The year 2014 of, i think, April is when Microsoft will cut support for security updates for Windows XP. The one you're referring to is for system builders, like HP, Dell, et cetera. Meaning, Windows XP will legally be available on the market till 2011.

This got me wondering: Where is exactly the reason why companies don't turn to Linux systems for their computers? After all that would save them thousands of dollars in licensing and those dollars could be invested in purchasing nice and hassle-free Linux distributions. I think the answer will be software compatibility as most specialized software is only available for Windows.

Linux is mostly used in the Internet world, like web servers, et cetera. I wouldn't say software compatibility is the issue here, because these are companies—they tend to make their own software anyway. A company that depends on others will only fall down with the company they depend on. When a company decides to be dependent on a product that is not maintained themselves, they have to rely on those who have strong foundations. But even then, it is still risky. I believe the issue here is more on the market share of Windows.

Can that change in the near future? Could it make any sense for developers and software houses to start developing with Linux in mind when it comes to specialized software to be deployed to large companies?

If it is the case of market share, then if it does change, it will happen very slowly. The major thing Linux has for gaining market share is if Microsoft pulls another Vista. People stick to a product because it meets their "needs." Businesses develop for a specific platform because there are more people using that platform. Businesses are less likely to build for platforms that have less people on it, and people are less likely to move to a new platform if the stuff they are attached to does not work (well) on this new platform. So a big dilemma occurs.

[onitenki 0]

the day linux take major share of the market that day microsoft goes down and i will truely be completed!but anywho. universities are adding linux to labs. my networking lab currenty has all distro of linux so a one small for man. one big step fo linux!

[networker 0]

Applications for specialized purposes that will run on Linux is probably the next logical step.

That's why the timing is perfect to write these applications in Java.
I haven't yet looked at that open source office software that Sun microsystems
has. I hear it's pretty good though. Comparable to excel, etc.

[Unparallelogram 0]

People are afraid of change, especially people in large organizations with a lot of pre-existing systems to maintain. I think the biggest barrier to getting people in these organizations to use Linux for at least some tasks is how to make this change relatively easy and pain-free. There has to be better measures for transitioning not only software and data, which is the relatively easy part, but also users and their knowledge, which is far more difficult. Someone who has trained with, for example, Windows and Office, will have a certain learning curve going to, for example, Ubuntu and OpenOffice, even if the latter products seem to be using a similar design and interface. There's just a lot of smaller things that users have picked up over the years that they would not be happy to leave behind.

[karl77 0]

We have also to assume that Windows is more convenient for novices. And because the non Information Technology staff is used to its simplicity, it's even difficult for the Organizations to switch to new environments (Linux). But the gap between the operating systems is decreasing and we started to see more and more Linux systems deployed.

[mm22 0]

I think the biggest barrier to getting people in these organizations to use Linux for at least some tasks is how to make this change relatively easy and pain-free. There has to be better measures for transitioning not only software and data, which is the relatively easy part, but also users and their knowledge, which is far more difficult. Someone who has trained with, for example, Windows and Office, will have a certain learning curve going to, for example, Ubuntu and OpenOffice, even if the latter products seem to be using a similar design and interface. There's just a lot of smaller things that users have picked up over the years that they would not be happy to leave behind.

Yes that's probably the main point, as long as most people are introduced to the Windows environment (virtually their "mother tongue") it is unrealistic to think of a large scale substitution. However companies use often specific system which require a learning curve anyway, so in that case it may not make a big difference whether the underlying system is Windows or Linux.