DOD purchases upgraded office suite

[Galian Beast]

http://www.army.mil/article/94335/

They spent six tenths of a billion dollars on Microsoft office suite when they could have moved to linux and simply used open source software.

Thoughts?



Moderator: Please delete if this is seen as political.

 

[joseephuss]

I have two questions:

What are the costs associated with moving to Linux? What are the security issues with using open source software?

 

[NorthTexan95]

I have two questions:

What are the costs associated with moving to Linux? What are the security issues with using open source software?

Security is a big issue ... compatibility with other software is a big issue ... retraining is a big issue ... supporting is a big issue ...

 

[Kangaroo]

http://www.army.mil/article/94335/

They spent six tenths of a billion dollars on Microsoft office suite when they could have moved to linux and simply used open source software.

Thoughts?



Moderator: Please delete if this is seen as political.

You can use open office with Windows. The issue is support when you are a company that large and you have things break you need support.

While I have been in places that use Linux (Oil Companies) they only use it in certain aspects mainly high end stuff that does not work while on Windows. You may save on Licensing but it cost more from an IT man hour and knowledge prescriptive so the savings are not all they are cracked up to be. Plus normal work stations doing daily work it is a pain to support customers. Heck it is hard for people to use windows on a daily bases and not cause stupid support issues and it is easier to use then Linux Workstation.

I am not Anti Linux by any means but there are places where it makes sense and places that Windows makes sense. Large companies are going to go with as much standard stock stuff it may cost a little more for licensing but from the support side where the real cost is way cheaper to stick with Microsoft over Linux or Open office at a workstation level.

 

[Galian Beast]

The cost associated with moving to linux include re-imaging computers. And potentially adapting to software incompatibilities, if any arise. Linux actually accounts for most of that already.

In reality moving from Windows 7 to Windows 8 presents many of the same challenges.

Linux is actually a much more secure platform than Windows. And I don't know of any security risks involved with using OpenOffice.

You can't be in the IT field and not know how to support Linux. This is another common misconception. That somehow you have to retrain IT. Fact is when you hire IT individuals Linux is often already a prerequisite whether you use linux or not.

Also as Kangaroo suggested, you can run OpenOffice on windows.

The reality is that most people use their work stations for word processing, presentations, database, spreadsheets, and internet. All of which function in the exact same way on Linux.

I could put some brands of Linux on your computer, and you wouldn't recognize the difference.

Also the fact that Windows has so many more issues creates a much larger tech issue. A lot of that is again preconceptions about different systems.

 

[DIAF]

Open source is a baaaaaaaaaad idea.

 

[Hoofbite]

They should also do away with other unnecessary things.

Toilet paper......pretty sure leaves are abundant and free.

 

[NorthTexan95]

The cost associated with moving to linux include re-imaging computers. And potentially adapting to software incompatibilities, if any arise. Linux actually accounts for most of that already.

In reality moving from Windows 7 to Windows 8 presents many of the same challenges.

Linux is actually a much more secure platform than Windows. And I don't know of any security risks involved with using OpenOffice.

You can't be in the IT field and not know how to support Linux. This is another common misconception. That somehow you have to retrain IT. Fact is when you hire IT individuals Linux is often already a prerequisite whether you use linux or not.

Also as Kangaroo suggested, you can run OpenOffice on windows.

The reality is that most people use their work stations for word processing, presentations, database, spreadsheets, and internet. All of which function in the exact same way on Linux.

I could put some brands of Linux on your computer, and you wouldn't recognize the difference.

Also the fact that Windows has so many more issues creates a much larger tech issue. A lot of that is again preconceptions about different systems.

Open Office really isn't an option for many companies. While it's fine for basic needs most home users need, it misses many of the best features off Office. It also has it's own compatibility issues which can be very limiting.

Also, I disgree that every IT tech has (or should have) Linux skills. I would say most by far do not have those skills or not in enough depth to make them credible Linux techs. It's hard to justify learning Linux when everything you're running is Microsoft or some web based interface.

While changing from Windows 7 to Windows 8 isn't a huge deal on the back end, it's a huge deal for the end user. My organization will be staying with Windows 7 and hoping Windows 9 has a more usable interface.

Note: I'm IT Director for a medium sized non-profit. Microsoft is very, very good to non-profits with massive discounts.

 

[Trendnet]

The cost associated with moving to linux include re-imaging computers. And potentially adapting to software incompatibilities, if any arise. Linux actually accounts for most of that already.

In reality moving from Windows 7 to Windows 8 presents many of the same challenges.

Linux is actually a much more secure platform than Windows. And I don't know of any security risks involved with using OpenOffice.

You can't be in the IT field and not know how to support Linux. This is another common misconception. That somehow you have to retrain IT. Fact is when you hire IT individuals Linux is often already a prerequisite whether you use linux or not.

Also as Kangaroo suggested, you can run OpenOffice on windows.

The reality is that most people use their work stations for word processing, presentations, database, spreadsheets, and internet. All of which function in the exact same way on Linux.

I could put some brands of Linux on your computer, and you wouldn't recognize the difference.

Also the fact that Windows has so many more issues creates a much larger tech issue. A lot of that is again preconceptions about different systems.

Try telling that to our internal security team! Ha!

In truth Linux has just as many vulnerabilities as your typical Windows systems. I've locked down enough Linux systems to know it's apain the butt.

 

[burmafrd]

when you consider that Microsoft does not play well with other programs (ADobe anyone) the overall cost of moving to it from office is probably if not more the same. Training and so on. So in this case it might actually make fiscal sense. Maybe.

 

[Eric_Boyer]

You can't be in the IT field and not know how to support Linux. This is another common misconception. That somehow you have to retrain IT. Fact is when you hire IT individuals Linux is often already a prerequisite whether you use linux or not.

that is the most inaccurate thing I have ever read on a forum.

the vast majority of people in the IT field would be completely lost sitting in front of a linux box.

 

[iceberg]

http://www.army.mil/article/94335/

They spent six tenths of a billion dollars on Microsoft office suite when they could have moved to linux and simply used open source software.

Thoughts?

Moderator: Please delete if this is seen as political.

and retrained everyone.
and now has to have developers on staff to make "adjustments" to open source.
hire a new IT staff to oversee the fundamental change.

not that easy to do when you look at everything.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Back in the 90s, the Government basically came to an agreement with Microsoft by way of limiting what they would pay for SW. Totally illegal but none the less, it worked and now MS and the Federal Government are in bed. If you went to Linux, there would be no way the Federal Government could do the same thing because there is no MS to choke. It's open source and repackaged by other brands such as Redhat or Suse, whatever flavor but it's still basically an open source OS that is developed by a user community.

That's a huge problem for the Federal Government. Even today, support on Linux is not great. No way the Government could go this route IMO. Not at this point.

 

[IAMKING]

They should have went to utorrent