Deploy Linux desktops for non-technical users, says study

Stephen Withers
Friday, 22 May 2009 03:54

Business IT - Open Source

"Savvy IT departments see the Linux desktop as a PC investment that actually saves money during this downturn. We see the recession fueling open source on the desktop," added Sutor.

Around a third of respondents mentioned security (either claiming that Linux can be made more secure than Windows, or that an acceptable level of security can be achieved and maintained with less time and effort), and more than 30 percent cited reliability and stability.

It's important to realise that 90 percent of the respondents had been directly involved on desktop Linux deployments, and another 3 percent had observed them, so we're hearing the voice of experience in this study.

So, in their experience, what are the top tips for minimising the risks with such a deployment? Consider end user thoughts and needs; thoroughly assess application compatibility; and take things slowly, pilot and test.

Few of the respondents expect Linux to work for all their users. The majority had rolled out to less than 20 percent of the total PC user base.

Less than 15 percent of them had deployed it on at least 80 percent of desktops. While nearly 40 percent thought that proportion was theoretically achievable based on user requirements, less than half that number expected to get there once practical considerations such as politics and resources were taken into consideration.

The study was based on a web survey with responses from 1275 IT professionals, predominantly in the UK and USA (though Australia and New Zealand were represented), and working in organisations ranging in size from fewer than 10 employees to more than 5000.