Open Source In The Office
CNet has an excellent interview with Ernie Ball, “the world’s leading maker of premium guitar strings.” He talks about their companies switch to open source on the desktop after a software audit. He particularly notes the humour in which he’s become a celebrity ‘just because’ he doesn’t use microsoft on the desktop. Worth reading the whole thing.
Some quotes -
“Q: Can you start by giving us a brief rundown of how you became an open-source advocate?
A: I became an open-source guy because we’re a privately owned company, a family business that’s been around for 30 years, making products and being a good member of society. We’ve never been sued, never had any problems paying our bills. And one day I got a call that there were armed marshals at my door talking about software license compliance…I thought I was OK; I buy computers with licensed software. But my lawyer told me it could be pretty bad.
The BSA had a program back then called “Nail Your Boss,” where they encouraged disgruntled employees to report on their company…and that’s what happened to us. Anyways, they basically shut us down…We were out of compliance I figure by about 8 percent (out of 72 desktops).
…
You see, I’m not in this just to get free software. No. 1, I don’t think there’s any such thing as free software. I think there’s a cost in implementing all of it. How much of a cost depends on whom you talk to. Microsoft and some analysts will tell you about all the support calls and service problems. That’s hysterical. Have they worked in my office? I can find out how many calls my guys have made to Red Hat, but I’m pretty sure the answer is none or close to it…It just doesn’t crash as much as Windows. And I don’t have to buy new computers every time they come out with a new release and abandon the old one.”