Cisco IT Manager Targeting 70% Linux

RMX writes "LinuxWorld Australia has an interesting article discussing Linux Desktop adoption in Cisco. Cisco "already converted more than 2,000 of its engineers to Linux desktops...plans to move many laptop users to the platform over the next few years...the driver for Linux on the desktop is not cost savings, but easier support. Manning estimates that it takes a company approximately one desktop administrator to support 40 Windows PCs, while one administrator can support between 200 and 400 Linux desktops.'"

Get the Facts(TM)!

[cdavies]

So, Linux TCO is greater, eh?

Oh great

[Stevyn]

Now Balmer is going to get on a plane and install Ad-Aware and SP2 on their machines to help with tech support.

but microsoft....

[ZiakII]

but microsoft is more secore according to microsoft... /sigh what to do

Re:Critical mass...

[Husgaard]

Probably the ratio will only slightly worse.

One reason is the better overall security in Linux. For example you actually need to mark a file executable before you can execute it on Linux.

Another reason is the diversity of Linux systems. Worms and virii thrive best in monocultures, and it is hard to write such a beast so it is able to thrive in a hundred different Linux variants.

Not cost driven?

[Junior J. Junior III]

the driver for Linux on the desktop is not cost savings, but easier support. Manning estimates that it takes a company approximately one desktop administrator to support 40 Windows PCs, while one administrator can support between 200 and 400 Linux desktops.'

And this does not represent a cost savings?

Hey! maybe now we'll see open source drivers ...

[UtilityFog]

... for all those Linksys cards.

Re:Offtopic?

[CowboyBob500]

Active Directory would only address the issue if it was deployed in a homogenous Windows environment. Since Cisco have decided to have at least some Linux workstations, Active Directory is effectively useless, since it is not possible (AFAIK) to have true single sign on in an Active Directory domain on a Linux box.

Of course, when Microsoft releases the Linux client, I'm sure Cisco would be willing to evaluate it as a solution...

Bob

Re:more like 1700:5

[Anonymous Coward]

>> AND we are absolutely not overworked.

Hi! This is your manager here!

Thanks for that great and timely information.

Starting Monday, your team will comprise 4 persons instead of 5.

Have a nice weekend, and don't bother coming in on Monday.

Re:Get the Facts(TM)!

[Greyfox]

Yeah, because you have to hire a real human being for Linux support, while Windows can easily be supported by a chimpanzee who will work for bananas!

Of course if that chimpanzee is an MCSE, it'll cost you twice as many bananas than if he isn't. Oh and never say "Get your hands off me, you damn dirty ape!" They hate that.

Re:Different perspective...

[mattspammail]

Not as their primary job. THAT would be to post regularly on /. The $25-$50 is just during regular hours. Mac mod surfing is done on overtime rates. :-)

un-American, that's what it is

[DuctTape]

I think that it's positively un-American that they're switching to Linux and taking jobs away from the hard-working deserving American citiziens that work at Microsoft, and subsequently at American anti-virus companies like Symantec. I've heard that there's French and Russian types that have spies in America that have worked on Linux, and it's only because Linux is free that companies are switching. Well, it's NOT FREE!!! Every copy of Linux that gets installed means one laid-off American worker from American companies that support our president and our just wars overseas. This has got to stop! If just every red-blooded American citizen would go out and buy a copy of Microsoft Windows at the suggested retail price, our lives would be so much better off for those of us that have invested our American dollars in MSFT.

I think that if we bought products from the company of every CEO that has slept in the Lincoln Bedroom, we'd have more prosperity, fewer terrorists, better return on our investment dollars, and higher executive bonuses that would trickle down to all layers of our economy, especially at American-staffed Mercedes and Lexus auto dealerships. So stay away from that Linux corruption. It's bad, very BAD!!!

DT

Re:Heh. Try nearly 2000:1

[Dwonis]

Maybe it's those ceyboards you're using that are the problem. ;-)