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The success of the Internet is because of the exclusive use of published Open Standards. These standards have been implemented in OSS. The use of TCP/IP and Open Source for networking servers should be considered by all. The alternative to open protocols is the creeping growth in the use of proprietary networking technology which will result in vendor lock-in and make migration increasingly more difficult.
Linux on industry standard 32 bit and 64 bit computers is growing rapidly and is replacing proprietary Unix systems. Consolidating servers onto fewer high performance Linux computers can give large cost savings.
For many organisations the first place OSS is deployed is to provide file and print services for networks of Microsoft Windows PCs. SAMBA running on Linux provides very cost effective and reliable file and print services. In addition to cost savings organisations are replacing Microsoft file and print servers with Linux and SAMBA to eliminate the security threat from viruses.
All the main proprietary relational data bases have been ported to run on Linux. In addition there are several OSS relational data bases, including MySQL and Postgress, which could be considered.
The desktop provides the biggest potential for cost savings in most medium to large organisations. Putting Linux onto the desktop can cuts costs by 75%. For more information see the case study of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, at http://www.netproject.com/online.html
Possibly the most important change is to consider desktop computers as corporate workstations rather than personal computers. Authorised users should be able to log on and work from any workstation.
Thin client is where all applications run on a back end server with the display output to the desktop. Thin client is a return to mainframe computing. Thin client computing has evolved because of the problems of managing PCs that run Microsoft Windows. The benefits of thin client computing are significantly improved system management, support for mobile users / hot desking. These must be set against ensuring the performance of the server is adequate under peak loading and network latency.
For most mainstream desktop applications there is a perfectly good OSS alternative that runs on Linux, Microsoft Windows and Apple Macs. By deploying these applications large cost savings can be made. Also the freedom exists to change desktop operating systems with the minimum of disruption. Examples of such alternatives include: Open Office for Microsoft Office; Mozilla web browser for Internet Explorer; Evolution for Outlook Express; The Gimp for Adobe. There are many others.
The benefits of a Linux desktop have encouraged a growing number of organisations to take a hybrid approach to desktop computing, using a Linux desktop with legacy desktop applications run on the server. Where appropriate, Microsoft Windows applications are replaced with OSS equivalents and run on the Linux desktop. By minimising the loading on the server and eliminating network latency the responsiveness of the system is improved
netproject has developed and deployed systems based on its Secure Open Desktop Architecture (SODA) to provide secure, manageable and scaleable computing. SODA gives the performance benefits of 'fat client' computing with all the system management benefits of 'thin client computing.'
A centralised LDAP server is used to authenticate users when they log onto SODA workstations. Smart cards can be used to ensure the identification of the users. All user files are held on central servers as are user emails. This approach enables users to log on from any workstation on the network. SODA workstations are managed remotely. Software is downloaded from a software server when the workstations are first connected to the network. Subsequent software updates are done automatically. When there is a hardware problem with a SODA workstation, because there is no data on the computer, it can simply be thrown away.
For more information read the netproject Secure Open Desktop (SODA) document.