Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Linux Lands Big Bank Account

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the linux-switch-ads dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The European arm of Banco do Brasil, the largest bank in South America, is switching from Windows to Linux to cut costs and centralise support. The long-term strategy is to phase out Windows completely. Linux is also being used to replace Windows on desktops. Vnunet has the whole story."

6 of 347 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Inter Bank communications! by fanatic · · Score: 5, Informative
    Unfortunately, MS Office is like a virus: You might do the right thing(tm) but chances are your neighbor won't...

    Simple solution:

    Dear Sir or Madam:

    You have sent a file to me in a format I can't read. Since the extension is (xls|doc|whatever), I assume this is a Microsoft office file. You can save this file in a format that is more useable to me and others by opening the file, using the File->SaveAs menus and selecting (text|RichTextFormat|HTML|whatever) and saving. Please send me the file that results.

    While I regret any incovenience this may cause, it is necessary for our ongoing technology upgrade, part of which is to lessen our dependence on proprietery file formats which change at the whim of a single company, and require the use of expensive, insecure software.

    Thank you very much.
    --
    "that's not encryption - it's a new perl script that I'm working on..." - from some Matrix parody
  2. Not at all! by adilsonoliveira · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here in Brazil, there are several brazilian and multi-national banks going to linux all they way. The Banestado (a state bank) changed all the ATMs from DOS to Linux. HSBC is using it on several layers of the organization. There's more comming but AFIAK it's not public information yet. Besides, I'm quite convinced there's a few others who already switched but don't tell anyone as a way to keep their internal process secret or just because they think some clients might feel unconfortable to have their accounts managed by a "hacker's OS". Well, whatever ;) Adilson.

    --
    Faith can move mountains. I prefer dynamite.
  3. Re:I woudnt trust Open Source with my money. by kitzilla · · Score: 4, Informative

    The nature of Open Source security issues is rather different. First, the Open Source community is more forthcoming in its report of security vulnerabilities. Second, all the vulnerabilities in the report so fairly reported by a Windows advocacy site have been fixed. Third, most of the security vulnerabilities reported by CERT are less disasterous than their Windows counterparts.

    Any OS has security vulnerabilities, including UNIX based systems. The difference between Open Source and MS issues is that MS users are at Microsoft's mercy when it comes to fixing them. Open Source problems are there for anyone to see and patch. Better the devil you know than the devil hidden away behind Redmod's closed source.

    --
    This is my post. There are many others like it. If you don't like what you read here, go try one of the others.
  4. No, not amazing by nurb432 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Most banks actually use big hardware for the REAL data processsing, everything is done via an terminal emulator or complex screen capture programs to make it 'pretty'..

    Windows currently is needed for compatiblity with stuff like 'word', 'exchange', and piddly loan processing programs, etc.

    So somoene hacks in and grabs a email.. big deal. the statemnts/and $ are safe.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  5. Not without precedent by donglekey · · Score: 5, Informative

    Canada Trust, one of the biggest banks in west Canada (I am not sure about their reach) use linux heavily. I went there to open an account, and while I was answering questions, what was on their desktop? KDE everywhere. People at desks and people working behind the counter were all using Linux and KDE on PCs. I would also suspect that if Linux is used on every desktop that it, or at very least some other Unix is used for all the servers.

    --

    This Wiki Feeds You TV and Anime - vidwiki.org
  6. Re:"Big account"?? by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 4, Informative
    Anyone want to explain to me how a whopping 9 boxes is considered a "big" account?

    They're still in the early stages, they're consolodating to 9 machines, 9 huge machines. One consolodation converts 41 servers dwn to 3, which I think is a bad sign for MS, since this is a big machine and administration savings. The fact that you can consolodate down to 9 machines is also significant.

    From the article:
    The long-term strategy is to phase out Windows completely. Linux is also being used to replace Windows on desktops.

    "We had about 70,000 Windows server and desktop licences and eight NT networks serving Europe,"

    The eventual 70,000 seats is the big news. They're not doing it all at once, they're going to do the servers first, the issues are more known there. They're doing a staged rollout, which is what they should do.