Re: _[vox]_ACM_article:_'Study:_IT_Budgets_Opening_Up_to_Linux'

[StarTux <matthew@psyMAPSchohorse.com>]

Eric wrote:

>Dude, I work for EDS, we are the second largest
>systems integrator in the world (behind IBM). We
>contract with the US Navy/Marines, many UK and
>Australian govt. agencies, Fortune 50, 100, 500, and
>1000 companies (Palm, Chevron, Xerox, to name but a
>few...). We are talking large scale support, not "oh
>we can get a couple of admins to handle that". There
>is not enough linux support to go around for all these
>clients, yet, though I am sure someday there will be.
>We are already using Linux for some functions and for
>some clients in a limited capacity, but we cannot
>announce to the world "we will sell you and support a
>complete linux environment worldwide 24x7, 4 hour
>response support". IBM can, but they also sell
>hardware and software (big revenue generators) and
>have the resources available (programmers, developers)
>that we don't. We only provide systems integration
>support, and we can only focus on so many different
>solutions. It's a matter of economies of scale. We can
>get good partnerships with Compaq, SUN, and HP, that
>help us provide good service and support for a good
>price, and they will provide the specialized service
>we may not be able to. 
>So, I don't really see it as a cop-out, but as a
>common sense business decision. We do support Linux
>when clients request it, which is becoming more
>frequent. And as admins, we are more than glad to do
>it as most of us are running Linux on our desktops,
>and generally prefer it to other unix-type solutions.
>ERic
>
><snip>
>
We're talking about EDS? It is very much different for a large business, 
a small or medium could use the outside help, albeit it can be 
expensive, but we are talking Linux here...

This is what I get for entering a conversation halfway at 2am or so 
hehe. I noticed that EDS are in the black and seem to be doing well.

Eric, customers get to choose what they have running? Do they ever ask 
you what you recommend, or even what you are running? Whats the policy 
on this sort of question, if there is one? Just a little intrigued to 
know what its like in a multi-os environment.


Matt