Linux in Large Corporations (Was: New to group)

[George Toft]

Greetings,

Matt Alexander wrote:
> 
> Quoting Brad Bonkoski <bradb59@home.com>:
> 
> > They
> > choose to deploy Linux based solutions because of the openness and
> > ease
> > of development, but then turn right around and use M$ within their own
> > walls.  Strikes me as odd, but I guess it goes to show the lack of
> > Linux's competitiveness with all the "executive" types.  Is it this
> > way everywhere?
> 
> I've worked for a couple of large companies, and the biggest reason cited for
> not using Linux or other OSS is because upper management doesn't have someone
> to point the blame to.  They feel more secure with a proprietary product
> because there is a dedicated company supporting the product instead of what

Yeah, like the 2 hours IBM spent on the phone with us.  Their 
recommendation was to upgrade to the next version of Websphere.  Their
bill was $73,000.00.  Strangely enough, when we upgraded, the problem
stopped.  Too bad the security department already had this upgrade
scheduled.  That was $73,000 flushed down the toilet.  Gotta love
big corporations.


> they perceive as a bunch of random teenage hackers with most OSS.  Yes you can
> get support contracts from companies like RedHat, but you have to remember
> that Linux is still a relatively young phenomena in the corporate world.  Most
> people didn't have a clue that it even existed until they heard about
> companies like VA Linux, when their stock price shot up to astronomical levels.
> I think that as long as the techies keep pounding away at their managers to
> use better products, then I think we'll make some headway.  If you're in IT
> and you've given up and accepted that you'll have to maintain shoddy and
> expensive software, then you can be certain that management will continue to
> tell you to use shoddy and expensive software.  Remember, the squeaky wheel
> gets the grease.  Keep bitching and whining and hopefully minds in the
> corporate world will eventually change.  Oh, and setup a Linux box on your
> desk to show that you can do practically everything that the NT/2000 box did.
> Exchange server has POP turned on by default so you can use KMail or any other
> POP client to get your "Outlook mail."

Most of us Unix Engineers either use a pirate Linux box or have 
VMWare with Linux as the guest OS set up so we can do our jobs.  Linux 
is not authorized for use as a desktop OS.  Working Fortune 500 can sure 
leave a bad taste in your mouth for marketing/business analysts who
make decisions on twisted marketing literature instead of sound
technical reasons.

George