Armonk (NY) – IBM has been taking stabs at the cost of Microsoft Windows in corporate environments for some time. Today the company followed up on a promise to participate in a “Microsoft-free” desktop environment, which the company promised to make available to its customers by the beginning of 2009. The software platform is based on Canonical’s Ubuntu Linux distribution, Virtual Bridges’ virtual desktop software and IBM’s Lotus Symphony productivity suite. The selling point? It’s cheaper than Microsoft and, well, it is anti-Microsoft.

IBM does not make a big secret out of its strategy to pitch the platform as a Microsoft alternative in the hope to capture the interest of IT Managers who are unhappy with Microsoft software for whatever reason. Described as a “Linux-based, security-rich, Microsoft-desktop alternative,” the package promises basic productivity features, including open standards-based email, word processing, spreadsheets, unified communication, social networking and other software to any laptop, browser, or mobile device from a virtual desktop login on a Linux-based server configuration.
     
The platform is based on three components, (1) Ubuntu Linux, (2) Virtual Enterprise Remote Desktop Environment (VERDE) from Virtual Bridges and (3) IBMS’s Open Collaboration Client Solution software (OCCS) based on Lotus Symphony, Lotus Notes and Lotus applications. IBM announced the intent to offer such a platform in August of this year, stating that it wants to ship computing devices that are entirely free of any Microsoft product into the 1-billion-unit desktop market.

According to IBM, market forces are shifting and there is “growing demand for economical alternatives to costly Windows and Office-based computers.” The company claims that “Linux is far more profitable for a PC vendor and the operating system is better equipped to work with lower cost hardware than new Microsoft technology.” At the time of the August announcement, Linux companies Red Hat, Novell were involved as well, but there is no information if or when those two companies will actually make their software available as part of this initiative.

So, what about those costs? How much cheaper is a Linux desktop? According to IBM, up to $1276, not including IT services. The company claims that customers can save up to $800 in software licensing cost (Windows, Office), up to $258 in hardware upgrade cost necessary to support Windows Vista and Office 2007, up to $145 per user and year in reduced power requirements and up to $73 per user per year from reduced air conditioning requirements (since users could run lower-power PCs with this Linux platform). IBM said that IT services per desktop may sink by 90%, security/user administration by 75%, help desk services by 50% and software installations by 50%.

"With the benefits of open standards over a proprietary platform come the freedom to select software in a heterogeneous environment," said Malcolm Yates, vice president, Canonical, in a prepared statement. "Combining Ubuntu with IBM's Open Client software applications we can break out of Microsoft dependencies completely and significantly reduce total cost of ownership."

The absolute cost of IBM’s idea is $49 per user for VERDE in a 1000-user environment. Ubuntu Linux and Symphony are offered free of charge. But IBM wants to make money with this offering, of course. Besides helping to market VERDE, IBM stressed that it can “help” customers to “out this offering, as well as other customized virtual desktops.”

IBM???

Dec 04, 2008 17:48     

I was unaware that IBM was making laptops again. After they sold the pc division to Lenovo, they decided not to make PCs/laptops...
dan report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

Design Engineer

Dec 04, 2008 19:38     

I've been following the Linux story for about 10 years now, and Since February 2008 have been running one of my computers with Ubuntu Linux. It's gratifying to see how quickly and easily it self-installs on a computer, much easier than any Windows installation I've ever performed. It also is well-supported with automated patches from Canonical, Ltd., as long as the machine is connected to the Internet. However, the system and the open-source applications are anything but trouble-free. Some of the quirks are well beyond the self-help capabilities of the casual user, and for Linux to succeed in an enterprise in its present state will require a competent IS support team, offsetting initial savings.

Andrew P. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +9

IBM!?

Dec 05, 2008 01:43     

They are incapable to write quality software except for environments that they control 100 % (like i-series), I still can feel a turmoil in the force for the nasty bugs, poor usability and terrible, terrible look and feel of pc versions of Domino, Notes, SmartSuite...
dog report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +3

IBM's targeted market

Dec 05, 2008 12:18     

IBM is a lot smarter than most give them credit for on this. NIST under IEC61850 is issuing new standards for SCADA software and all the bloat in windows make sit unacceptable for SCADA particularly when security and reliability are paramount. Who is this going to affect every public utility in the US. Since SCADA is the central nervous system for the electric, natural gas, water, and sewer systems of the US, any operator is going to have to dump MS and replace it with something approved by NIST. Since MS has offered nothing since NT 4 that can be configured to meet the then current CERT security requirements, MS is eliminated or forced to restructure their desktop offerings to eliminate all the integrated "features" that are security holes. IE Explorer leads the list. Since the operators of these systems don't have a choice about whether or not they implement the required security upgrades for their real time systems, their IT departments are faced with the costs of maintaining two separate IT systems. The question then becomes are they willing to spend the money to continue to support MS for noncore functions. There are major costs for maintaining duplicate IT systems. It might be different if someone other than Big Blue were ther alternative. A lot of old timers are comfortable with IBM, and there is the old saying " No one ever got fired for picking IBM". I am involved in developing SCADA for Electric utility applications and my last conversation was MS would get back ot me in June or July nest year. By that time the train will have left the station.

Ed H report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

Smart move

Dec 05, 2008 15:55     

Yes, a move to Linux will require companies to have a competent IS team, but they need one for a Microsoft infrastructure just as well. The idea that in Windows things 'just work' is a myth. Maybe the IS support efforts would shift more to initial setup instead of continuous maintenance. Once a Linux machine is set up, it is remarkably trouble-free, unlike Windows machines that seem to deteriorate over time.

Patrick report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -2