[Linux-aus] ZDNet: Windows to Linux, and vice versa

[Brent Wallis]

On 4/26/06, Jonathan Oxer <jon at ivt.com.au> wrote:

>
> It's not entirely clear if these figures are correct because of the
> way the article is written, but it's also interesting to note that in
> the case of the Coffey migration they appear to have gone from 4 IT
> staff to 11 with the switch from Linux to Windows.
>
> Think there is even more than that that we can learn from this. There are
also clues to what was alluded above. This is very well organised PR!:

1. Look a little more closely at the Austereo story ... the "issues" with
"Linux" were actually issues with they overall design of what they wanted to
do...

eg:
"-- exposing the limitations of the Linux-based environment in some very
painful ways.".....
"remote users struggled to grapple with a virtual private network (VPN)
login system that required three different passwords to establish a
connection."

....is a function of the IT department not keeping up with developments in
technology.....they simply didn;t know what they were doing. Not a function
of the tools
they were using.

eg:
"Working with Microsoft consultants, he and his team sat down to map out
their future infrastructure and found that their requirements could be
easily met using an integrated suite of applications built on top of Windows
Server 2003."

...doing this whith their Linux and Open Source
Infrastructure....ie....sitting down and planning....would achieved trhe
exact same results.

2. There are several catchy emotive statements , PRECISELY scattered
throught the story, ie they are sparse in the early parts, but become more
frquent and "urgent" towards the end.....

eg:
"We were assured that there were procedures and processes you could follow
to recover down to the individual message, but when it came to reality, it
was a lengthy process and an absolute nightmare."

and
"Fixing that issue took Forgione back to the doors of the same company he
had shunned those three years earlier -- yet even he concedes that the
Microsoft option "just made more sense".

and
"It was a hard decision, but even Forgione concedes he was impressed when
comparing the company's existing and potential computing environments."

and my absolute fave....a scribes masterpiece:
""I'm probably the hardest sell Microsoft has ever had," he laughs. "I had
to decouple myself from my love of open source because of the availability
of tools."

...ad nauseum....

I have been in touch with the journo that wrote this. (
http://www.braue.com)..a couple of weeks ago ,to discuss a couple of stories
about clients who have taken the hybrid approach to implementing
FOSS......he seems genuine.
My stories will take some time to put together but he needed something. They
(ZDNet) put out a general call for stories of Win to Lin and it looks as
though the MS PR people probably gve him the only copy
he could get.

SO!....while I am busy getting my stories together how bout anyone else? Any
of you out there with clients that would be willing to talk about their FOSS
adventures? You can contact the journo via his website posted in the last
paragraph....

Rgds
BW
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