Toolkit

Story: Quarter of SMEs test Linux

Posted by: Anthony Capstick (Wednesday 10 December 2003, 4:10 PM)

“I find that figure astonishing. I have personally only heard of 2 people who have tried to install Linux in their small/medium-sized business, and my business-to-business company has a client base of 8,000.

Linux is for big business, or for IT businesses, or at least those businesses that have a dedicated IT department and the resources and knowledge that goes along with that.

What SMEs want is an out of the box solution that works. They don't have, and cannot afford, sophisticated IT resources that are necessary to run Linux. They don't care who produces it, they just want it to work without IT and resource input.

I started my business on a single PC in the corner of my bedroom in 1991 using DOS and MS works. I migrated up to Windows, Office, Access and the Small Business Server. Over the years I have spent hours and hours making my IT systems work. I want a reliable solution, and I really don't care who produces it as long as it works. Microsoft’s products have done that just fine for me, and they are still around 13 years after I started.

Even if small businesses are testing it I bet they'd have to think very hard before they commit.

I'd like to talk to more examples of small none IT businesses like TTS who have adopted Linux. I'd like to know who supports them and how much they pay per month or year on ongoing IT support, and whether they have someone in the business that is an employee who has in depth IT skills, and what their salary is.”