Linux Is In Business and Business Is Good

My most humble apologies for getting this article out so late. It is the promised follow-up to "The State of the Penguin Report. Truth be told, we simply got covered up with work and fell behind in blog entries.

I apologize for the lapse.



While it is not an easy thing to accurately gauge the number of people using or migrating to the Linux Desktop, it is almost impossible to nail down the number of businesses that pin the penguin to the profit margins.

At the same time, this report doesn't pretend to encompass all the factors involved in a business adopting Open Source solutions or not. These are simply the observations of one company who aids individuals and businesses in making the switch. We're sure there are other factors that may come into play.

Not every business makes a high-profile public announcement like Ernie Ball did early in the century. Most businesses don't migrate in one fell swoop...their adaptation of Linux and Open Source is subtle and measured. Often, and as we recommend as professional consultants with HeliOS Solutions; businesses should choose a few non mission-critical machines and get used to the system as well as the concept of an Open Source Community. They can see first-hand the advantages and pitfalls without taking any of the risk.

Most CEO's and CFO's believe, and rightly so in most cases...You Get What You Pay For, or...If It Sounds Too Good To Be True, It Probably Is. Unfortunately, it is difficult to convince someone responsible for an entire business that Linux is the exception to that rule. I note with a bit of humor that Microsoft sales and licensing agents like to quote the first belief system ad nauseum. It was the first thing out of the agent's mouth when a company I worked for was visited by the local Microsoft guy here in Austin. He was there to try to salvage the account. Having been the person who did the migration, I was asked by my CEO to sit in on the "meeting"

It still amazes me the trite and tired lines these guys spill when faced with losing five digit commissions.

I suppose I'd get inventive too if put in the same position.

But the case I was involved in was ideal. The company ran almost exclusively on web-based applications and to be realistic, they could have probably been running Plan 9 as their operating system and still done well with it.

But they were the exception...a few-and-far-between-exception.

Concerning the business and numbers of HeliOS Solutions, we have an almost 75 percent "cha-ching" rate when dealing with home computer users. When it comes to small businesses, that number falls to about 20 percent. Get any larger than 25 computers in the shop and that drops to five percent or less.

Why?

Simple. There are several factors that come into play to make that number a bit dismal. To our surprise and possibly yours as well, employee reaction has way more to do with the negative decision than we could have ever imagined. One would think that cross-platform compatibility and security or even TCO would be the number one issue but surprisingly it isn't...not in most cases.

It's the sure-to-come kvetching and griping from the employees that throws the first red flag.

If that isn't the sticking point, then our next obstacle has been the people that administrate the actual systems and servers. From the hundreds of these folks I've talked to, I'm told there is almost no limit to how badly a cube-inhabiting data entry employee can foul up their work computers. Even with user permissions that approach Stalinist control measures, they seem to find a way to screw up their system.

You would think this might be a positive factor in our corner but it isn't.

The techs have years of practice fixing these boo-boos. The last thing they want to do is learn how to fix a whole new selection of problem-sets.

Obviously, there are sysadmins that run Linux behind the scenes and without the management's knowledge. Most sysadmins know that any number of Linux server scenarios can and will reduce their workload immensely...but on the desktop?

They don't what anything to do with it.

But if we are going to honestly evaluate the true obstacles in getting Linux and Open Source into the Enterprise, we have to get past the company techies. That is the toughest thing we face. The people that run and administrate the business are historically technical idio...technically challenged. They pay their tech people to fix their laptops when they screw them up and are looked upon as miracle-workers by those who don't know better. It's no doubt that they go to their techies to ask...

"So how about this Linux thing. Is it do-able for us?"

I think we know the answer and I will offer up to you a supreme - case in point as to the stuff these CEO's are getting told. I'm not saying that this poster does not have some good points, I grudgingly agree with many of them, however; they are not as insurmountable as some want their bosses to believe.

Which brings us to our next substantial stumbling block...The seeming lack of Linux System Administrators.

I cruise the want ads daily to see just how many of us could go to work at an Enterprise-level corporation if we decided we needed to. For every 20 requests for MSCE's or Windows Server Admins, there may be one or two postings for Linux Folks. Now here in Austin, those numbers are a bit higher. Linux seems to be catching on here in business much faster than in most places. Reasons for that are obvious, but in Newark or Fort Lauderdale, it's a whole different story.

Will this change? It is changing now. With the SEC beginning a full-tilt-boogie migration and much of Wall Street seeing the handwriting on the wall, there is no doubt that Linux has a bright future within the Enterprise. There is talk that the Obama Administration has pitched the Sun gods to explain "this Open Source thing". He seems serious about getting government costs under control. Note I said that with a straight face....and only make the point because it came out of a politician's mouth. Let's hope that McNealy has his A-game on when he hits the Oval Office.

Do you realize just how important this is to what we do?

The 5K layoff at Microsoft will look like a paper cut compared to the hemorrhaging that will take place if some of those lucrative government contracts were lost to Linux and Open Source applications. Remember...

For almost every Microsoft and Windows machine that gets axed, there will be an anti virus company somewhere crying a river of tears as well.

Sure there are questions about application cross-compatibility and use, but given the wide-spread use and acceptance of virtual tools and emulation, it's not nearly the problem it used to be. One app alone has breached this divide in almost miraculous ways, and that app is IE4Linux. It has made the difference in more than a few sales on this end alone.

The next front we need to tackle is the almost exclusive use of Windows software in the medical and real estate professions. That task seems almost overwhelming. Yet, the move from system integration to browser integration has already shown that many of these apps can be system agnostic. Still, there are companies and organizations that are hesitant to make that happen...as relatively easy as it would be to do so. We talked about it at length here.

So there are some of the obstacles and objections we have run into while "selling" Linux to business. Still, we get two or three calls a month to come and tell people what their options are.

Here's to a constantly-ringing phone in the near future and a huge fall-off of a particular habit in and around many server rooms.

Rebooting at midnight.

All-righty Then...

Gold In The Stream

Water can be a force to reckon with...just ask the Grand Canyon.

But some things will not succumb to force, and some things only if that force is so strong that nothing can stand in its way.

But that is rare.

There are things that stand their ground...dominate the space they inhabit and refuse to budge.


Gold miners discovered long ago that their prize was to be found in abundance in many streams. Its weight and density dictated that it stand its ground, that only a raging flood would dislodge it from the place it sought to be discovered.

I found myself in a stream of sorts a few days ago...not a traditional stream, one of rushing waters and tumbling currents but a stream of rush hour traffic. A place of orchestrated chaos and honking horns. A place where you can easily spot those who left the house five minutes late and were playing the odds that traffic would allow them the time to catch up.

It rarely does.

I said organized chaos, while being a complete misnomer, those who find themselves in this rushing stream know exactly what I mean...the flow has rules.

You don't approach a red light in the right lane...people can turn on right on red and if you plan to go straight ahead upon the green...angry honking horns are the least of your worries.

You don't use the left lane for your casual visit to the grocery store during rush hour. People's livelihoods depend on their punctuality. They could care less about your shopping list. They are in a hurry, you are not.

Never break down in the middle lane of traffic. Good things are not going to happen to you and chances are, if someone stops...it's not going to be to help you.

I drive a 1992 Izusu Rodeo with almost three hundred thousand miles on it. Care to take a guess as to which of the above examples I had the misfortune to choose?

It couldn't have been in a worse place. A hundred yards from a major intersection and twenty feet away from a side street.

I created one of the nastiest traffic jams you could imagine, and I did it in Austin Texas. Those of you who live here know exactly how bad this was. No one would stop long enough for me to attempt to push my car to the side. Two cops past the entire drama without even a glance and those who past me screamed some of the foulest things I've ever heard.

I'm a retired soldier...I've heard some foul curses. Even the battlefield didn't produce the utterances I heard on this occasion.

With 4-way flashers flashing I stood at the rear of my vehicle trying to guide traffic around me and withstand the verbal whithering fire of angry motorists. I was truly lost for a solution.

That's when I found the gold.

His name is Thomas Edwards and while his skin color was more ebony than gold, his worth on that day could not be equaled by his weight in that precious metal.

Thomas Edwards is a big man. Not in girth...but in pure mass. When I offered my hand he shook it. It felt like I had just placed my hand inside a first baseman's mitt. He looked at me then the stream of traffic struggling to get around us. I noticed quickly that the curses were silent.

I don't think anyone in his right mind would curse Thomas Edwards to his face.

We tried to jump my car with his battery charger but it wasn't strong enough to power my deader-than-dead battery. He told me to block traffic while he maneuvered his car so as to block the lane I was stuck in. We would push the car onto the side street 20 feet to our rear.

We got it there but by the slimmest of margins...having to push it up a 4 percent grade we could push it no further and Thomas told me to go quickly and set the brake. As I broke around him, rushing to set the emergency brake, even this massive man could not hold the weight of the car as it inched closer to the traffic rushing a mere few feet from his exposed body.

I got it stopped within inches of him being struck by oncoming traffic.

Thomas Edwards knew the situation he was in...he knew the traffic was coming closer and closer to him, but he never gave up...he held the creeping vehicle, neck bulging and face taught with effort. He held it back until I got the brake set. He knew if he jumped aside to safety, the Rodeo would be broad-sided by oncoming traffic.

Thomas Edwards held his ground.

He even offered to help further. If I did not get the car started, I was to call the number on the business card he handed to me. He would come with enough people or a wrecker and get me out of further harms way or better yet, along my way. Once he was assured I had help coming, he quietly left.

In less than ten minutes, the friend I called to help arrived and we were able to get my car repaired and me on my way.

Thousands of people passed me in that twenty minute ordeal...only one person stopped...a Chunk of Gold amidst a raging stream. I thank my God for his help.

Now how does this tie into Linux? Open Source? Only in an indirect way.

The HeliOS Project is getting ready to embark on a large project. We are going to be building a Linux Lab on the East side of Austin. It will be a place of hope in the middle of despair. It's not the best of neighborhoods. Most of the people there are good, fine folks...but the bad elements there are profound.

I can think of no better place for a Rock of Gold to be placed. As soon as we get the hardware together, we will build it.

It will be the Thomas M. Edwards Technology Learning Center. And it's not because he helped me.

It's simply because he stopped to help someone when no one else would.

I was simply fortunate enough to be Someone.

All-Righty Then.

Linux Community Begins Crafting Radio Ad

It's been discussed to distraction...whether advertising Linux would do any good or not. Well, we are not far from finding out. Our "Voice of Linux", we'll call him George...simply because that's his name; has given us some raw audio to work with.

It is awesome...truly it is.

Now we simply need to form and polish it.

Cut it, splice it, add music, voice-overs...whatever you want to do...redo it in your own voice or make your own...we are going to showcase the Linux Community talent on this project. There are multiple clips available. Our goal is to make a 15 second, 30 second and one minute spots. We want the raw power of the Open Source Community to shine through here.

Let's see what we can do.

These are going to be listened to by the entire community so put your best efforts into them. There is a good chance these will be aired on public radio stations across the nation or even the world if we can get enough people involved.

There are three files available for download. One is one minute 13 seconds, one is at one minute exactly and the third is the full ad with music layered underneath so you can get a feel for what a simple thing it is to do. The only difference between the two basic files is a few seconds cut from one to show how smoothly it can be done.

Remember, the only stipulations are that Free Open Source Software is to be used in all levels of production and all submissions must be published under Creative Commons Licensing. There will be businesses that will want to use these clips so leave room on them for the business to identify themselves and voice-in the contact information and such. Usually 10-15 seconds is sufficient.

This is for community involvement and chances are, there is a lot more talent out there than we possess. We can't really offer prizes...yet. The coffers are fairly dry, but we can publish the best of the best with the names of those who did the work. We will keep plugging away to find someone who will be willing to donate prizes. If you are someone who can help us put together a prize list, please contact us at icanhelp at fixedbylinux dott komm.

So when does it run? Who gets to run it? Who knows...? We are working several funding angles now. These spots are going to be, for some, the first information they've heard about linux. If you decide you want to submit your own original work, keep this in mind. But it's open source so make it what you want. Just remember, this raw source belongs to the community and is released under Creative Commons licensing. They are presented to you in ogg format in the spirit of open source but your entries can be in mp3 format if you wish...some simply prefer to work with that format. They had initially been uploaded as mp3's but asking you to use only open source then offering you proprietary files seemed just a bit odd.

Thanks to Mark Van Kingsley for pointing it out to this oblivious author.

We have set up an anonymous FTP account for your uploads so submit your work in tar.gz or zip format and name the file with something that will identify you as the author. The ideal thing to do would be to include a text readme file inside with your full contact information. That will put a stop to any possible confusion.

The fantastic voice talent that gave us this work has done so freely....he has our sincerest thanks. Let's see if we can make him famous. Upload your files here. http://www.heliosinitiative.org/page.php?10

Now...let the Audacity begin. Here's hoping for a Rezounding success.

Sorry.

All-righty then

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Enough is Enough. Higher Education...? Wake Up

It has been gratifying to see the number of businesses and personal computers moving to Open Source software and the Linux Operating System. In our organization alone, the numbers, while small on a grand scale, are quite significant from where we stand. We've installed hundreds of Linux systems in the past two years and the retention rate of those systems are what we get excited about.

However...

I have received a spate of emails in the past 60 days, complaining about various universities and corporations that are disallowing most anything but Windows to access their systems. A good focal point for this can be found on a recent article here. Further evidence of public ignorance about Open Source Software was uncovered in the "Karen" donnybrook. In the most recent article reflecting the same subject, Carla Schroeder nailed it dead between the eyes.

I'm not writing this to bemoan the facts...I am going to write this in hope that we can get the attention of some people that can change this trend. We can only hope.

Many of you are not deserving of a tirade...you are simply conducting business the way business has been conducted since computer networking became a part of your operations. Hopefully we can work together. Some of you however are digging in your heels and refusing to smell 21st century air.

You are the people that I want to talk to.

First off, let's dispel a couple of things. I have sat in meetings with principals and school administrators and listened slack-jawed as system administrators (mostly MSCE's) told their employers that it was illegal to remove Windows from their current computers. They didn't say it violated their contracts or licenses...they said it was illegal.

That's either so uninformed that it raises the question "Why are you doing this job?" or it undeniably stands as a bold-faced lie.

Look. You are not only barring thousands of students and customers from your systems, you are forcing them to use an operating system that is inherently weak. In addition, you cry about your operating costs then when the tears dry, you write the check to Microsoft for the latest licenses.

We're dealing with "Higher Eduction" here, right?

Not so far as I can tell.

I have recently seen the depths of ignorance when it comes to Open Source Software and on a personal level I can understand it, but you get no such pass. Do you realize that by demanding that your students or customers use Windows, you are subjecting them to this? I want you to justify that to me. As the people making decisions as to how and by whom your systems can be accessed, I want you to justify it. I must subject myself to attacks like this for the privilege of accessing your site?

It's just one of a never-ending line of viruses and spyware tools that your system administrators have to battle. I know you are "invested" in Microsoft products...I realize that. I also know that your system administrators are deathly afraid of losing their jobs because they don't know the first thing about Linux. Many of them anyway...there are a number of them that are running Linux Servers behind your back because it makes their jobs easier...and that's a good thing. But for the ones that hold Microsoft to their breast and swear their undying loyalty?

Learn or leave....you are holding the world back from what is inevitable. Open Source will have a place in our technology...on a large scale.

Open Office documents send and receive .doc and exel spread sheets just fine. As in the story noted above, the uh...young lady lamented that she couldn't use anything but Microsoft Office because the formats on her Ubuntu computer were incompatible...?

Absolute nonsense. I am suspecting one of her professors told her just that. I have specific reasons to believe it.

I would expect a first year college student to be this ignorant, but as administrators of entire universities and server systems, I would expect a bit more breadth of knowledge.

Silly me.

I don't usually do edits once an article is posted but in this case it is important enough to make an exception. One astute and knowledgeable reader left us a link to an extremely successful migration of an entire school. No one is asking you to go to this extreme but it is posted just so you know that no one is asking you donate a kidney here...just some common courtesy in letting a popular alternative system gain access to what they need. You can see the success story here.

I had a conversation with an English Professor at the University of Texas today. He stated that his insistence his students purchase the "student discounted" copy of Microsoft Office to be more out of his laziness than for his real need for that particular program. Turns out that he just doesn't want to change his syllabus to inform his students they have a choice.

News flash Prof. Some folks just don't have a spare 150.00 laying around to sustain the Redmond Giant. You won't be able to tell a Linux-based .doc from a Windows-based one.

Now, we won't get specific here....for obvious reasons. Your "secure" system can be owned by about 17 people I know right off the top of my head...you just haven't merited their attention. Let's hope you stay below their radar. Your argument that Linux is only secure because it is obscure is also urban legend rubbish.

Take a look at this...

Now, we're going to be following up on this. Seems a certain University in Indiana is forcing some of it's students to purchase Microsoft Office or they are not being allowed to enroll. That's the report we are getting.

We'll be having a discussion with them this week. Hopefully we will report back that this was just a silly misunderstanding.

One of the questions we will be asking is this? Why do you capitulate to using or buying additional software so that the software you've already purchased will work as designed? Oh you don't do that?

Got anti-virus?

We'll also be asking a major medical center in New York why they insist that a growing number of Linux users cannot access their logins. We know why...it's a piece of proprietary software that they demand be used prior to login. Windows-based proprietary software.

We'll be talking to them as well and we'll publish the names of the organizations and the people we talk with. we'll also publish the conversation verbatim if possible.

Enough is enough.

This isn't an argument or discussion on which operating system is best. It's a statement that thousands and thousands of people are making the conscious decision to take control of their computers. I notice with a bit of humor that some of you boast of supporting Mac machines? That's nice. Some numbers indicate that Linux has surpassed Mac in user numbers a while back. Different entities will dispute this statistic and with good reason.

Linux is free so there are no real sales numbers to go by and internet polling is all over the place. Some show it as number two, others as a distant third. While that may be the case, there is sufficient evidence to show that Linux is growing in popularity by the day, and I mean substantial growth. One focused advertising effort by Linux and those numbers will change without any dispute.

Even Microsoft, in it's annual report to the SEC, cited Linux and Open Source software as the number one threat to their profit margin. I didn't see any mention of Mac in there at all. So you will support the number 3 system but number two gets the cold shoulder? We are talking millions of users in the US alone.

That leaves us with a couple of questions.

Who appointed your entity as the gatekeepers of our technology? You may not perceive yourself as such, but actions are leading some to think you are just that... the gatekeepers barring us from your sites. Linux users are growing in huge numbers and those numbers get bigger daily. I am hearing from Linux users about you at a disturbing rate.

Look, no one is asking you to embrace this thing fully, just tweak a couple of things to allow Linux users equal access to your portals and sites. Heck, pay my travel and one night's lodging, buy me a meal and I will come do it myself. I'm serious, I will be happy to do it and I am fully qualified to do so.

Why are you denying computer users simply because they choose to use a more secure operating system? In a short period of time, I will not be the only one asking you this question.

We'll be speaking shortly.

All-righty then...

The Gatekeepers of our technology

The Linux Community is having an on-again off-again love affair with Dell. It's been a rocky affair since Dell decided it would bump the positive side of their ledger by offering the Linux Operating System on their products.

There have been some embarrassing public displays of affection and there have been equally public spats, with a few pots and pans thrown...

So it goes with passionate couples. A word of advice is always welcome though and I might offer one of the afore-mentioned parties a bit of it now...

Duck.

"Linux - We don't recommend it."

Those were the words spoken to a fellow I work with. The person uttering those words is a Dell Customer Service Representative, one of those that helps you "build" your computer as you speak to them over the phone.

Gary is typical of the baby boomers who sit down behind a computer. He doesn't use a computer as much as he uses a small handful of applications on it. Kind of like a refrigerator. It sits there day in and day out waiting to do it's job in the event someone wants to eventually come by and grab something cold out of it.

He has no real idea of the raw power at his fingertips...and he doesn't want to. He simply needs something to check his email, read some news on a couple of websites and provide a home for his anti-virus software. Gary, when it's all said and thought about, is afraid of his computer. His few forays into the internet jungle have given him a nasty case of DTD's (digitally transmitted diseases) from time to time and pain is a good teacher.

He just doesn't use it much anymore because of the nasty experiences. That's when I found out Gary isn't as technically-challenged as I thought him to be. He came to me and asked me if I'd look at his less-than-one-year-old Dell computer and take some of the garbage off of it. Seems Gary is victim to the Antivirus 2009 malware and it's variants that so many Windows Users fall prey to.

I asked him if he would consider putting Linux on it. He just shrugged.

"I tried to have it put on there when I ordered the computer...they said they could but they didn't recommend it."

It took me about 5 minutes to start making the phone calls. I started with the proper protocol and called their complaint line. Not much luck there...the people in Malaysa couldn't care less. I decided to target my query a bit closer to home...like in Round Rock. A twelve minute drive from my house.

That didn't work out so well either. I'm still waiting for a call-back.

Note to self...don't tell people why you are really calling. It just tips them off that you're not a happy customer and the chances of getting a call back are as remote as a viral infection on a Linux computer.

Gary is digging around at home for the information on his purchase. We're going to try to find out who the actual order taker was and from there, we're going to try to climb the ladder and find out just why Linux isn't recommended. I have developed a fairly good relationship with just one such representative and we'll try to lay hands on some of their internal memos which may dictate policy on this matter...time will tell how good of a relationship this is.

We've known for a long time that Dell is beholden to Microsoft...and we've known that Microsoft is putting pressure on it's hardware partners to kick Linux to the curb. It's not something that can be disputed. What should be talked about though is Dell's open verbalization that Linux isn't as good as Windows. Gary said so himself...he wishes he had asked the question. When the service rep told him that they didn't recommend Linux he should have asked him.

"Then why do you offer it?"

Indeed.

Of course, with current stories like this, one might understand Dell's hesitancy to "recommend" Linux. They have to believe at times that they are in a no-win situation. people have been given nothing but Windows for over a decade. The woman noted in the linked article is a good example of just how indoctrinated people have become....and how lazy they've become as well. We'll leave it at lazy, although other descriptors jump to mind immediately.

I'm not saying that Dell's position isn't appreciated...but when we've tried to steer people to Dell/Linux machines in the past, they've been so buried on Dell's website that it damn near took a paid detective to find it. And when it WAS found, we ran into things like this






















Let me save you a click if you like. Top right hand corner...above the ad for a Linux-based laptop.

"Dell recommends Windows for everyday comuputing".

A Linux-based computer ad recommending Windows...

Yeah, it's old news...we've posted it before but it bears posting again to make the point.

That new love interest might drive a shiny new car and be a good-looking devil...one might even be vain enough to just want to be seen in the same company with them...but that doesn't change the fact.

When you get home and you are alone together, you have to ask yourself...

Is getting slapped around and mistreated worth it?

All-Righty Then.