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Red Hat 7.3 Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels
Posted by Rick on Tuesday, November 12, 2002 - 08:19 PM
Linux Business Rick writes "So the closing chapter in Super Tramps Migration to Linux, looking back it all seems so straight forward now. Let me assure that it didn't look like the case when the project was in its infancy.

So for those of you that have not being kept upto speed with the project, here is a brief project plan. In September 2001 Super Tramp Trampolines took a view on the encroaching Microsoft Licensing system and decided that it was too restrictive, too expensive and would remove IT systems control from our company in an unacceptable way. The decision was made to make a push to migrate to Linux.

This is nothing too outlandish until we say Migrate The whole show; Business Applications, databases, Office Tools, Email, Internet and Desktops.
At the time this looked liked a ludicrous proposition! Cutting to the chase on Tuesday 15th October 2002 Super Tramps Total Linux system went live and our 2 Windows Servers ( 1 Win 2K, 1 NT ) Were powered down. The chaos must of been incredible I hear you say. Well, no is the reply this was about a painful as migrating from Office 97 on a 98 O/S to Office 2000 on Win 2K. We FTP'd 6.5 Gb of MS Office Documents and Spreadsheets to the Linux Server, Opened them up in OpenOffice.org and carried on working, I informed the Staff that their email and internet access was now called Mozilla and came in one package. Let them know that K = Start in KDE and off they went with their spanking new Desktops.

Admittedly 6 Months earlier we had Moved from Sage Line 50 and an Access DB based CRM system to MOBIUS Sql, which had recently been ported from UNIX to Linux; There were benefits to putting all our business systems into one integrated application, however the transistion was quite hard work.

For those of you looking for a Sage counterpart under Linux, then try JALIA; this program is practically a clone, It uses the renown and robust postgreSQL database at the backend, comes with Payroll and the ability to import your sage data, If your looking to setup for future growth and want to intergrate CRM then take a look at MOBIUS SQL.


In October 2001 I met the Techinical Exec from Caldera and sat through his lecture at Linux Expo entitled Is Linux ready for Business ??
I was honoured to talk this year at Linux Expo and be able to say YES.


Well I leave you with this thought. We deployed Emai,l Internet, Suite of Office Tools, Photo Editing Software. Firewall, Email Server, Personal Information Management system. We now have ongoing licensing ( GPL ) for 24 Seats ( Workstations ) with scalability to at least 50 Seats for 120.00 Total ! Total means total software costs excluding our Business Application, Total also means Total; Not per user, per seat, per server. Bar Nothing 120.00.
It doesn't quite look so ludicrous now does it ?


If you would like to know more about how Open Source and Free Software could help your business please feel free to email me: rick@supertramp.co.uk
My advice is free, although I will say that my time is more limited now as the board saw fit to give me a Directorship and Share Options in the company for making it happen.


My best regards and Thanks go out to all the members of the Southwest and Devon and Cornwall Linux User Groups that helped to make this possible. Maybe we can help others."

 
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Red Hat 7.3 Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels


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