Khaotic Musings
Random musings on Linux and Free and Open Source Software.
Thursday 12 March 2009, 12:39 AM
Saving 50 million Euro with Linux and Open Source
There it is. In clear, un-ambiguous terms.
Using Linux and Open Source software throughout your organisation, especially on desktops, can save money. Real, serious money. The kinds of money that can keep a business afloat, or save a government from going bankrupt.
What's my proof? The Gendarmerie Nationale (aka, the French National Police). Specifically:
"The French Gendarmerie's gradual migration to a complete open source desktop and web applications has saved millions of euro, says Lieutenant-Colonel Xavier Guimard. 'This year the IT budget will be reduced by 70 percent. This will not affect our IT systems.'"
Read the rest of the report here
How did they do it? Easily. Get users off Microsoft Office and onto OpenOffice.org. Get them off Internet Explorer and onto Firefox. Off Outlook and onto Thunderbird. Eventually, the desktop becomes irrelevant, meaning you might as well use Linux instead of Windows. Read more of what they did here.
For a more generic recipe that your organisation can use, read The why and how of Linux migration.
Yes, we've heard Linux cost-saving claims before, but wasn't there a huge migration and retraining cost?
None! Zero! Zilch!
Here's what the report stated:
"From an end-user perspective, the transition went unexpectedly smooth. Almost no additional training was required for the local police forces using the computers in their daily work.
Didn't the users baulk at using Linux instead of Windows?
No! Non! Nein! Nyet!
So, where does that leave the nay-sayers who say that you can't move a business to desktop Linux? With their collective heads in the sand, and collective rears offered up for swift kicks.
And where does that leave Microsoft, doggedly insisting that businesses can't save money by moving to Linux and open source? Pretty much in the same camp as those trying to sell us snake-oil remedies, or business proposals from former Nigerian oil execs.
And to the rest of us? Time to seriously look at following the Gendarmerie's lead, lest we're collectively branded as incompetent, or worse, for not pursuing strategies which minimise ICT costs, bringing budgetary risk to our employers and shareholders.
Using Linux and Open Source software throughout your organisation, especially on desktops, can save money. Real, serious money. The kinds of money that can keep a business afloat, or save a government from going bankrupt.
What's my proof? The Gendarmerie Nationale (aka, the French National Police). Specifically:
"The French Gendarmerie's gradual migration to a complete open source desktop and web applications has saved millions of euro, says Lieutenant-Colonel Xavier Guimard. 'This year the IT budget will be reduced by 70 percent. This will not affect our IT systems.'"
Read the rest of the report here
How did they do it? Easily. Get users off Microsoft Office and onto OpenOffice.org. Get them off Internet Explorer and onto Firefox. Off Outlook and onto Thunderbird. Eventually, the desktop becomes irrelevant, meaning you might as well use Linux instead of Windows. Read more of what they did here.
For a more generic recipe that your organisation can use, read The why and how of Linux migration.
Yes, we've heard Linux cost-saving claims before, but wasn't there a huge migration and retraining cost?
None! Zero! Zilch!
Here's what the report stated:
"From an end-user perspective, the transition went unexpectedly smooth. Almost no additional training was required for the local police forces using the computers in their daily work.
Didn't the users baulk at using Linux instead of Windows?
No! Non! Nein! Nyet!
So, where does that leave the nay-sayers who say that you can't move a business to desktop Linux? With their collective heads in the sand, and collective rears offered up for swift kicks.
And where does that leave Microsoft, doggedly insisting that businesses can't save money by moving to Linux and open source? Pretty much in the same camp as those trying to sell us snake-oil remedies, or business proposals from former Nigerian oil execs.
And to the rest of us? Time to seriously look at following the Gendarmerie's lead, lest we're collectively branded as incompetent, or worse, for not pursuing strategies which minimise ICT costs, bringing budgetary risk to our employers and shareholders.
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