Should enterprises upgrade to Windows 7? If you’re in the IT channel, chances are good you’ve pondered that question at least once or twice in the last few years. In a new e-book, however, Canonical urges administrators to consider another option: exiting the Microsoft ecosystem entirely by switching their desktops to Ubuntu. Here are the details.
To be sure, pushing Linux as an operating system not just for servers but also for corporate desktops is neither a very new idea, nor one that originated with Canonical. Linux distributions such as Caldera were marketed for the business channel more than a decade ago, and as early as 2008, Canonical partnered with IBM to deliver a virtualized desktop solution aimed at enterprises.
The Case for Ubuntu, or Money Matters
In a new, free e-book titled “Crunch time on the Enterprise Desktop,” however, Canonical representatives make the case that right now is a particularly apt time for businesses to consider a switch to Ubuntu. And it’s not for technical reasons, but financial ones.
For the most part, the short book’s arguments in favor of Ubuntu are pretty standard: it runs well on hardware that organizations already own, is less susceptible to malware and comes with a variety of productivity applications built-in. These are important points to make for readers who may know little about modern Linux, but they won’t surprise anyone already familiar with the open source channel.
In contrast, the more innovative component of the book is its emphasis on the cost savings that switching to Ubuntu could offer to enterprises at this particular moment. The intense pressure which businesses face to upgrade their legacy Windows desktops as Microsoft products such as Windows XP approach the end of their life cycles, the text argues, makes Ubuntu a much more attractive option on the corporate desktop than sticking with Microsoft.
The book cites numbers from Gartner affirming that upgrading to Windows 7 will force businesses to shell out significantly more cash on hardware purchases. It also quotes a representative of the French National Police, who said of that organization’s decision in 2006 to replace its Windows desktops with Ubuntu:
We weren’t experiencing technical problems, but financial ones. For the same amount of work, yielding the same results, we realised that Windows would cost us €2 million more than Ubuntu every year.
In addition to the costs associated with Microsoft upgrades and licensing, Canonical makes the case that the economic downturn makes Ubuntu a safer option in uncertain financial times:
The economic recovery has been fragile and we are not out of the woods yet. This is not a time for splurging on IT; it’s a time for making very careful, very judicious investments and for saving money wherever possible. With Ubuntu you can save millions on license and hardware costs while your competitive edge remains as sharp as ever.
Sooner or later, fat economic times will (hopefully) return, and the financial advantages associated with Ubuntu as a desktop solution may become less important for enterprises. Canonical’s emphasis on the cost savings of Ubuntu is thus probably not a great long-term strategy. But for now, it’s a timely endeavor that may well pay off.
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I use Ubuntu for my work desktop with great success, and WINE for the one or two indispensable Windows apps (which work flawlessly – WINE is very good indeed these days).
But, uh, Unity. That is not going to play with people moving from XP. It really really just isn’t. They’re going to need to maintain GNOME Classic to get this to take.
I honestly don’t think that the Ubuntu Unity interface will be a problem. The move from XP to Windows 7 will also present users with interface changes that they will have to come to terms with.
It’s all about the applications. If you can easily launch and use the applications that you need, and can access printers and other peripheral appliances simply, then users will be happy.
I installed Ubuntu 11.04 on my mother’s laptop which previously had the unfortunate Vista installed. I briefly showed her how to do what she needed and I haven’t had one question from her since. Every time I ask her how she’s getting on with Ubuntu she always says ‘fine’ or ‘great’.
If my mother (who is over 70) can handle Unity, I’m betting that most people can.
I also think unity will not be a problem. It *is* an effort and unrequited culture change for admins, but all my novice users will be more than happy. All they have to do is click on the launcher app. no chance of getting confused in the menu system.
I will myself be using unity as my daily choice from 12.04 LTS. I notice even the 11.10 alpha3 and beta ran well on my test (problem) machine.
I find I am looking forward to regular use of unity. As admin, though, it has meant a bit of effort for me. But then so would gnome gui, anyway.
For as long as there is no decent integration into Exchange Ubuntu on the Enterprise Desktop is doomed.
Apart from other reasons for success Mac’s are getting traction as alternatives to Windows simply because you can integrate into Exchange natively (and use Mac Office…).
Otherwise great user experience.
Stephen