With IBM putting its Linux campaign in full swing, and grassroots
organizations putting on "Freedom Software Day," it seems open source is
all the rage. But just because the operating system is becoming more
popular doesn't mean it lacks controversy. Open-source detractors say
that Linux and its ilk don't interoperate well, that there's clumsiness
with custom applications, and that care and feeding of the system skews
real TCO. Advocates counter that Linux breaks the Microsoft monopoly,
freeing companies and individuals with a system that's cheaper, safer
and more stable.
In some ways, both sides are right. Despite a rabid Microsoft initiative
to shoot down belief that Linux is a cheaper alternative to Windows,
many reports still show open source as an affordable option to both
Windows and Unix. But implementing the system could be tricky for
companies that are reliant on Microsoft for every aspect of their
businesses, and have homegrown applications built on the system.
What this all means is that for small businesses, treading into Linux
use should be done with some caution. Yet, many believe, it's worth the
trouble.
Cheap skate
The most compelling aspect of Linux is cost. The second and third most
compelling aspects are cost, and the fourth...well, you get the idea.
Richard Williams, product marketing specialist at Agoura Hills,
Calif.-based Symark, a Unix and Linux security company, notes that as a
former small-business owner, he looks at price first when considering
any system. For the past few years, he says that Linux has become the
darling of the budget-minded small business set.
"Linux is a good choice, because there are a lot of free versions," he
says, referring to various distributions available online. In the true
spirit of open source, some programmers have put together distributions
and are offering them freely to whoever stops by to do a download.
However, companies should be aware that "no cost" might mean that
nothing is taken from the bank account, but there still might be impact
to a bottom line because of administrative time. Implementing a free
distribution usually isn't appropriate for a company that doesn't have a
very tech-savvy individual in-house, especially because each
distribution has its unique attributes.
Williams says: "It's important to know that many of the free versions
are configured with a lot of options enabled. Among those are things
like line printing, mail programs, that kind of thing. A small business
needs to understand what system will be used for what."
He adds that another consideration when determining costs is in
maintenance. Unix, Windows, and Linux all have considerably different
upkeep needs, and when figuring out whether to jump from one to another,
a company should factor in the time and attention it'll take to keep
systems running smoothly. For example, Williams notes that there tends
to be more maintenance with free distributions, as compared to boxed
distributions from companies like Red Hat. But, if a small company has
an enthusiastic IT person who loves getting his hands all over Linux,
then maintenance cost differences could be negligible.
For the majority of small companies that don't employ programmers and
high-level IT managers, it might make sense to investigate purchasing.
"It's easier to buy something than to build it," says Williams. "If
staff isn't familiar with compiling applications, you'll want to look at
distributions that are at their technology comfort level.'
Piecemeal approach
For companies that would rather not jump on the open-source train
completely, there are many options for trying out the technology without
having to dismantle the infrastructure to do it.
In his work with small companies, Penguin Computing's founder Sam Ockman
has seen a blend of proprietary applications and open source systems.
His San Francisco-based firm builds scalable, high-performance Linux
systems for large companies as well as small, and Ockman notes that
there has always been small business interest in Linux, especially in
start-up companies that like adapting systems to their needs.
"For many small businesses, open source and Linux in particular excels
on the server," he says. "So, that's where they use it."
Other options for implementing open source include a company's intranet,
which can be run using Apache. Ockman adds that open-source databases
like mySQL have been gaining significant marketshare lately, since they
give companies flexibility without the high price tags seen on other
database apps.
Several open-source programs tackle specific office tasks, and small
businesses might find it worth the time to investigate whether they'll
do the trick. For file sharing, Samba has been gaining ground, because
it emulates a Windows server, bringing a level of familiarity to file
sharing chores.
For anyone who's growled at an Outlook screen, there are many
open-source options to replace the Microsoft-created application.
"There are several e-mail programs that are fantastic for anyone looking
to get away from Outlook," says Ockman. Many boxed distributions feature
such e-mail options, and others are available on the Web.
A company could also dabble in open source with just its browser use, by
running Mozilla on the desktop. The browser has two versions, a classic
standard edition and one called Firefox that has more functionality.
Ockman leans toward the latter, because it has some heavy-duty security
that puts browsers like Internet Explorer to shame.
"If you're tired of system insecurity, download Firefox," he says.
"There are so many stories about Internet Explorer and its security
holes. But those stories are very rare when it comes to Mozilla."
It's up to you
At this point, Linux isn't for everyone. Although there are many
distributions that make using it easier and cheaper, some small
businesses that are doing well with what they have may not see a
compelling reason to switch. And maybe they shouldn't.
But in some circumstances, companies may yearn to cut themselves free
from Microsoft service contracts, tinker with their own software, and
explore the power of open source.
"It's not difficult to mix open source and proprietary stuff," says
Ockman. "Actually, it's kind of fun."
Here are the topics we cover computer certification computer careers computer training computer games consulting data recovery data security digital entertainment emerging technology gadget reviews handheld computers hardware reviews home automation home networks home office how-to advice internet linux local companies local news local profiles macintosh mp3 players network security online music online security open-source small-business technology soho software reviews technology books technology dictionary vpn web site reviews wi-fi windows wireless technology tech articles tech news press releases tech dictionary education resources career solutions create your personal blog upload your videos become a writer usergroups special interest group SIG 3com cipts adobe adobe certified expert apc ncpi apple achds acpt acsa actc avaya bea 8.1 certified administrator 8.1 certified architect 8.1 certified developer 9 certified administrator bicsi rcdd checkpoint ccmse ccsa ccsa ngx ccse ccse ng plus with ai ccse ngx cisco access routing and lan switching ccda ccdp ccie ccip ccna ccnp ccnp old ccsp ccvp crmam ip communications optical proctored exams for validating knowledge sales specialist storage networking vpn and security wireless lan citrix cca 3.0 cca 4.0 cca 4.5 cca xp ccea 3.0 ccea 4.0 ccea xp ccia ciw ciw associate ciw certified instructor master ciw admin master ciw designer master ciw enterprise developer security analyst comptia a+ network+ security+ server+ computer associates ca cusa cuse cwna cwna cwsp dell eccouncil cea cep certified ethical hacker chfi e-commerce architect emc emc specialist implemenation technology foundations enterasys ese eta exam express exin exin itil extreme networks ena ens filemaker f7cd f8cd fortinet fortigate foundry cne fujitsu fujitsu guidance software ence hdi css hda hdm hdsa hitachi hitachi certified professional hp ais apc app aps ase certified systems developer csa cse master ase huawei hcne hyperion hcp ibm advanced deployment professional advanced technical expert application developer business process analyst certified administrator certified advanced system administrator certified advanced technical expert certified associate developer certified enterprise developer certified solution designer certified specialist certified systems expert database administrator db2 deployment professional enterprise developer eserver certified specialist ibm on demand business solution advisor solution designer solutions developer solutions expert storage administrator system administator iisfa cifi intel isaca cisa isc cissp sscp iseb itil ism cpm juniper jncia jncis legato lcaa lcea lotus clp lpi lpic level 1 lpic level 2 lpic level 3 macromedia mcafee mcdata csnd microsoft crm mbs mcad .net mcdba mcdst mcitp mcp mcpd mcsa longhorn mcsa 2003 mcsa 2008 mcsd .net mcse mcse 2000 security mcse 2000 to mcse 2003 upgrade mcse 2003 mcse 2003 messaging mcse 2003 security mcse 2008 mcts microsoft business solutions microsoft partner competency mile2 cnsa network appliance nac-na nac-nie naca nace nacp network general sniffer certified professional nokia nokia security administrator nortel ncde ncds ncse ncss ncts novell5 cna 5 cne 6 cna 6 cne 6.5 cne cne upgrade omg ocup oracle 10g dba 10g oca 11i 8i dba 9i dba 9i internet application developer oca ocp8 to ocp8i dba upgrade exam pmi project management professional polycom pcve redhat rhce rhct sair sas institute sas scp saas scp snia snia certified architect snia certified professional snia certified systems engineer snia storage networking certification program administrator professional associate symantec scse scsp scta scts teradata tca v2r5 tcad v2r5 tcda v2r5 tcis v2r5 tcm v2r5 tcp v2r5 tia ccnt ctp tibco tcp trusecure ticsa veritas infraguard chamber of commerce vcp vmware certified professional webex linkedin facebook myspace Professional page layout, image editing, vector illustration, and print production Website design, development, prototyping, and blogging Creation of rich interactive content Industry-standard visual effects and motion graphics Video capture, editing, and production; DVD titling; and digital audio, Adobe Photoshop CS3 extended, Adobe illustrator CS3,Adobe indesign CS3,Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Dreamweaver CS3,Adobe Contribute CS3,Adobe Fireworks CS3,Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional, Adobe Premiere Pro CS3,Adobe Soundbooth CS3,Adobe Encore CS3,Adobe OnLocation,Adobe Bridge CS3,Adobe Version Cue CS3,Adobe Device Central CS3,Adobe Stock Photos, Intel Pentium 4 (1.4GHz processor for DV; 3.4GHz processor for HDV), Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, (dual 2.8GHz processors for HD), or Intel Core, Duo (or compatible) processor; SSE2-enabled processor required for AMD systems Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise (certified for 32-bit editions) 1GB of RAM for DV; 2GB of RAM for HDV and HD; more RAM recommended when running multiple components 10GB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during installation) Dedicated 7,200 RPM hard drive for DV and HDV editing; striped disk array storage (RAID 0) for HD; SCSI disk subsystem preferred Microsoft DirectX compatible sound card (multichannel ASIO-compatible sound card recommended),1,280x1,024 monitor resolution with 32-bit color adapter Blu-ray burner required for Blu-ray Disc creation OHCI compatible IEEE 1394 port for DV and HDV capture, export to tape, and transmit to DV device QuickTime 7.1.2 software required to use QuickTime features Broadband Internet connection required for Adobe Stock Photos* and other services
