Re: [vox] ACM article: 'Study: IT Budgets Opening Up to Linux'

["Rod Roark" <rMAPSod@sunsetsystems.com>]

Eric wrote:
> --- speck@blkmtn.org wrote:
>> Inroads into corporate mindshare.
> <snip, snip, snip, snip>
>
> Basic reason the large systems integrator I work for
> does not "officially support" Linux is that we can't
> get Platinum support ala SUN to be onsite within 4
> hours with a workable solution. How can we sell Linux
> to clients if we can't have guaranteed, quality OS
> support 24x7. Sure, we know linux, and hp, and aix,
> solaris, sequent, etc., but in a jam we can call those
> companies for software support above and beyond our
> capabilities if necessary. With Linux, it ain't that
> easy. Maybe the company we contract with will not even
> be in business in 6 months. We can't sell that
> solution.

Sounds like a bit of a cop-out to me.  So you sell a
setup that works, and then somewhere down the road it
stops working.  What could possibly have gone wrong that
replacing some hardware or restoring from backup won't
fix?

OK so it's not always that simple, but still, you don't
have to flush Linux willy-nilly just because *some* kinds
of installations are tricky.

Not to mention there are surely some true gurus who would
happily take a nice wad of cash to be on call.  Like some
folks in LUGOD, maybe.

-- Rod
http://www.sunsetsystems.com/