Slashdot Mirror
How Would You Argue for Open Source?
Nate asks: "I am currently working for an international corporation, and the site I am working at was (until very recently) entirely run on Windows. We recently purchased a Solaris server, and I am in charge of setting it up and resetting the global UNIX standard. The problem is that management doesn't want to install software that does not have 24 hour, worldwide support available along with it, yet they want the capabilities that only open source software can provide on a UNIX platform (VNC, OpenSSH, etc..) without spending insane amounts of money. I was wondering how the Slashdot community deals with convincing management that Open Source software is safe to use when creating a global standard, and what your solutions have been to supporting users working with open source software." Two years ago, Slashdot tackled the Enterprise Support question. Now, say you had that particular problem solved and the only thing left is that all-important pitch to Upper Management. What arguments would you use in your attempts to get their approval? What statistics and references would you point to, in order to back everything up?
That will cure them for sure, support and Sun is like mixing oil and water...
...give it to them:
Form a new company with you as the only employee.
Submit monthly invoice for $50,000 to your current company for "OSS Platinum Support".
Sit back and watch the money roll in.
This works to your benefit since they'll probably call you at all hours of the night to initiate the support call, anyway...
- Tony
software that does not have 24 hour, worldwide support available along with it
... and say hello to the 24 hour, worldwide support team.
A small presentation showing the cost of Microsoft Word VS. gvim on 5000 desktops should be a good start. (And yet there is still that grumpy old guy with the beard who insists on compiling Emacs on all the servers....errr...)
(+1 Funny) only if I laugh out loud.
My software is free and that makes it better..NEENER NEENER NEENER!!!
Neck_of_the_Woods
#/usr/local/surf/glassy/overhead
CIO: My techie's say that UNIX is the best and is backed up by the entire Slashdot community.
CEO: Your telling me that you trust techie's over marketing droid's?
CIO: Yes, sir.
CEO: Your fired. Have a nice day.
Wow. My first "5."
Anyway, most of that came from a speech Eric S. Raymond gave at my college. The Karma really belongs to him. -- Funksaw.
"d00d, LiNux iz ub3r!! M$ W1nd0ze sux0rz!!!"
Manipulate the moderator system! Mod someone as "overrated" today.
Your corporation will always have 24/7 access to tech support on open source solutions. All they need to do is "Ask Slashdot", and within an hour they'll get hundreds of insightful, informative, witty, or (regrettably) flamebait suggestions.
Cyde Weys Musings - Scrutinizing the inscrutable
I've discovered that there is a time and a place for every battle. Sometimes it's better to let people figure it out for themselves. I've been down this road with companies that I've consulted for many times. They all follow the "hit-by-a-bus" strategy... if our admin gets hit by a bus, we need software that any other person can support if we need to bring them in. Sadly, there aren't many people out there actually worth their salt and too many of them only specialize in certain commercial apps.
:)
My strategy: Make the case to the management plain and simple. Open source software is constantly being improved and will [potentially] always be free (unless the author goes to the dark side...). Tell them they can save XXX dollars and get great features. If they still argue, say OK fine. Get quotes from all the major vendors of high-dollar commercial apps (i.e. Citrix Metaframe instead of VNC (yes there is a Unix version), commerical SSH (yes there are plenty) instead of OpenSSH, etc.) Compile all the costs, slap it on the CFO's desk and say "Ok I'm ready to implement all this just buy all that stuff." Then the CFO will scratch his head and say "Maybe this open-source stuff isn't such a bad idea after all."
Reminds me of a very similar battle I went through wtih a client some time back. The CEO *insisted* on M$ ISA Server (becasue people with "MCSE" after their names are a dime-a-dozen. Trust me, I know, I have one as well, only because my employer paid me to go get it) I told him that it was a waste of money. He didn't believe me. So I set up two servers -- one with ISA Server and one with Linux and IP Tables. He quickly saw the light when I dropped the $2400 quote on his desk to buy the license for ISA when the demo expired, and had no such quote for the other server.
Sun Tzu.
"management doesn't want to install software that does not have 24 hour"
;)
Tell them for about $40 a month, they can buy you a cellphone and make you their 24hr on call person. And of course since you'll be salaried, you won't get over time for those 2am calls. They'll like that.
I'd recommend taking the opposite approach. Propose that the company align their strategy with the systems provider, emphasizing their expertise and services that are worth every penny of their seemingly high cost. Then watch as the PHB's start talking about less expensive alternatives...
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