Thoughts on New IT

Before we jump into the action of the how, let’s focus a bit on the strategic business value of considering a Linux Laptop.

Why do we need do this?
The answer is simple: Because we can!

Let me give some thoughts on why "because we can" is important and also a shift for IT Departments.

There seems to be a trend in Corporate IT and in Corporate IT Consulting, which evolves technology into a business topic. People look at Magic Quadrants, Business Cases and the like to make their decision. While this is good, it also important to actually "touch, smell, and feel" technology to gain a better understanding.

Organization which are not able to do that, will have to continue "the proven" main stream path and are not able to participate in technology innovation cycles.

The Technology Industry is shifting tremendously! Mountains are being moved every other quarter nowadays. This is very different from the time 2-3 years back where for each dimension of technology there was a standard answer: Desktop = Microsoft Stack, Server = Microsoft + Commercial Unix (e.g., Monolithic Servers with AIX, HP/UX, et al), high performance application development JEE, et al.

This is changing! Some of web sites with most traction in the Internet are using actually Medium to Low end Intel Servers with the so called LAMP stack - Linux, Apache Web server, MySQL Database, and PHP as the scripting language. In effect even Sun's SMT are suggesting to use LAMP for Web-Only-Applications.

The more interesting question, however, is why did some organizations move a way from common wisdom?

Because they could! To macro economics of a top 10 global web site, scaled with a commercial application stack just simply don't work. Big Picture could have been - I have been there once - 400 Application Server CPUs (Powerful RISC CPUs) and another 200 Database CPUs. Just think about the license and even worse the annual maintenance fees.

Big picture: To expensive for a "garage start up" offering a Web2.0 internet application.

Along comes Open Source. Go to a web site download Linux and guess what, all you theoretically need is already packaged into the one download.

Let's try! Let's do a Proof Of Concept. Let[s not trust common wisdom and Power Point Architects to show the way.

What a surprise? It works. Cheap, Easy, Light weight - but its not the answer for all problems! It is slightly more difficult than that.

Information Technology just changed: Its not the money to buy infrastructure or applications anymore, its the skill and the vision, which let's you move from Kindergarten to High School.

Even worse: All your competitors have the access to exactly the same information. Its all in pockets of Open Source Innovation around the global somewhere on the net.

Application Level Innovation is being driven, by Open Source! .NET Application on Linux? Yes, sure - no problem. Linux Desktop in a Windows-Corporate - yes no problem. Drag and Drop Application Development, Business Process Management? Yes, sure - download it for free.

Will all this work for you? You will need to find out! The new paradigm in IT.

Let's take a look at how and why Linux on a Desktop looks like:
We can go to a Web Site and download a file, create CD or DVD out of it, push it into a Laptop or PC and click install. No fees, licenses, no questions, no serial number, no online registration, etc.

In most cases the same installation includes a Vista or Macintosh like graphical user interface, with free productivity applications like Office.

In some rare cases, there are hardware compatibility issues - similar to what we read in the newspapers about Windows Vista. However, this depends largely on how new or old the hardware is. I myself never came into the situation of not being able to install Linux on a give computer.

The ability to install additional free software out of a point-and-click catalog, is another serious benefit, enabling users to choose they tools they need for their work. Applications for all purposes are readily available. Some good and some not as good.

There is a private and a business scenario why this is sensible.

Privately I find using Linux on the Desktop very stimulating, as it “because we can” opens up a whole new world of applications, technology and innovation. It is easier to install new applications and keep a PC update to date, with auto-updates (this includes upgrades to new Operating System versions, as well).

There is a cost benefit as well: Next to the Operating System being free, Linux also uses significantly less hardware resources. It can operate in a very small and aged hardware footprint. This means is, that old Laptops and Desktops or low-spec new hardware, can be used easily with the same functionality as a high end PCs.

The business scenario is strategic then opportunistic. The benefit in a corporation is, that IT owns the playing field and hardware choices can be predefined. A Laptop and Desktop can be designed to work best with Linux. That refers to the selection of hardware and peripherals, as well as to the specifications (eg, low spec) of the machine as well.

The cost factor of free software and inexpensive hardware can be in a corporation significant. But what are the down sides? Typical employees, won’t have Linux and Open Source Office Application skills. Here classroom and e Learning offerings would need to be made available. This is essential to acceptance and success of such an initiative.

The following license and maintenance cost are not required for an Open Source Desktop:
Operating System
Productivity and Office Applications
Personal Firewall
AntiVirus
Collaboration Tools

Cost to consider:
Creating specific documentation and training for users
Training for IT Support and Help Desk (e.g., developing new Help Desk Call Center scripts, et al)
Potentially using a Linux Distribution with License and or maintenance fees – this in one of the next articles.

The German city of Munich went through a similar exercise and has significant information online in German and English (www.muenchen.de/linux).

The user application strategy has to be inline of course. Fat Windows based application require more effort to run in some form of emulation (e.g. Virtualized Windows via Vmware or Virtualbox or WINE). Ideally are applications web based and can easily be used on any given platform.

Now, there will always be users who have specific requirements. Its easy to retain an appropriate number of for example Windows or Macintosh PCs for specific job functions.

It works and it reduces cost. Significantly. Try it out – do a proof of concept.

It goes back to “ because we can “.