Deploy Linux desktops for non-technical users, says study

Stephen Withers
Friday, 22 May 2009 04:54

Business IT - Open Source

The situation is also similar to the way some Windows users have found they can happily use a Linux-based netbook once they've got over the shock of realising 'it's not Windows' - especially if they don't expect to take a bunch of applications with them.

"Those with experience are much more likely to regard non-technical users as primary targets for Linux. The message here is that in practice, Linux is easier to deploy to end users than many imagine before they try it. For the majority of application types, including office tools, email clients and browsers, there is a strong consensus that the needs of most users can be met by native Linux equivalents to traditional Windows solutions," the study concluded.

And where a Windows application really is essential, there's always emulation, virtualisation, or browser-based delivery.

So why were respondents adopting or considering Linux?

The top reason - over 70 percent - was cost, and most were talking about reducing total cost of ownership (TCO) rather than a simplistic 'free vs paid software' comparison.

"If a company is a 'Windows shop,' at some point it will need to evaluate the significant costs of migrating its base to Microsoft's next desktop and continuing the defense against virus and other attacks," said Bob Sutor, vice president of Linux and open source, IBM Software Group.

IBM has been an open source advocate for several years.

Find more about what Sutor had to say and about the respondents on page 3.