Linux vs Windows TCO :: essays research papers

There has been significant interest in the broader business community regarding the end in the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) among the Linux and Open Sourcesolutions on one side and Microsofts proprietary Windows solutions on the other.Microsoft softw are is licenced to mappingrs on a feeforproductbasis, whereas most Linux andopen source applications are available free of charge. There are, however, installation and take for cost to consider. We will take all such costs into consideration in the deterrent examples we put.While it is rough to qualitatively analyse all of the TCO factors at play, it is possible toproduce a reasonable firstpassquantitative estimate for the instantiation and functioning ofa complete computer milieu and ne cardinalrk infrastructure for a smalltomediumorganisation, to illuminate the TCO differences between these two competing platforms.To that end, we fuck off modelled an organisation with 250 computerusingstaff, anappropriate number of workstation s, servers, mesh connectivity, an ebusinesssystem,network cabling and ironware, standard software, and salaries for IT professionals toestablish and support this infrastructure and technology. Weve also added IT training forthe staff along with expenditure items for ancillary IT systems and external consultingstaff to assist in making it all work.We ran the model with two options firstly, purchasing brand new hardware and networkinfrastructure explicitly for establishing this organisations computer systems andsecondly, using preexistinghardware and infrastructure. We also simulated the ITexpenses all over a 3 year period, mimicking the operational lifespanof many corporatecomputer systems, and amortising the purchase and installation costs over that period oftime.Throughout this comparison, we will be presenting the raw data as well as the explicativemethodologies used in the determination of the overall costs. While we have taken careand effort to present a holistic analysis, we are mindful that no organisation is likely tooperate with the exact parameters presented here, and we therefore commend the use ofthe document as a guide only. Consider this document as a primer which you can use togenerate an enhanced TCO model specifically tailored for your organisation, by removingthose rip items which dont make sense for your site and adding additional costs whichare specific to your organisation.Further, while this document makes express use of technology and services found deep downthe IT industry, it is intended for an audience of nonITexecutives within small to mediumsized organisations.The final results are summarized in the tables below. One compares the TCO differencebetween Standard Linux (namely the one that isnt acquired with a prepaidsupportcontract) and Microsofts platform. The second compares Red Hats managed EnterpriseLinux and Microsofts platform.Linux vs Windows TCO essays research papers There has been significant interest in the broader business community regarding thedifference in the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) between the Linux and Open Sourcesolutions on one side and Microsofts proprietary Windows solutions on the other.Microsoft software is licenced to users on a feeforproductbasis, whereas most Linux andopen source applications are available free of charge. There are, however, installation andsupport costs to consider. We will take all such costs into consideration in the models wepresent.While it is difficult to qualitatively analyse all of the TCO factors at play, it is possible toproduce a reasonable firstpassquantitative estimate for the instantiation and operation ofa complete computer environment and network infrastructure for a smalltomediumorganisation, to illuminate the TCO differences between these two competing platforms.To that end, we have modelled an organisation with 250 computerusingstaff, anappropriate number of workstations, servers, Internet connectivity, an ebusinesssystem,network cablin g and hardware, standard software, and salaries for IT professionals toestablish and support this infrastructure and technology. Weve also added IT training forthe staff along with expenditure items for ancillary IT systems and external consultingstaff to assist in making it all work.We ran the model with two options firstly, purchasing brand new hardware and networkinfrastructure explicitly for establishing this organisations computer systems andsecondly, using preexistinghardware and infrastructure. We also simulated the ITexpenses over a 3 year period, mimicking the operational lifespanof many corporatecomputer systems, and amortising the purchase and installation costs over that period oftime.Throughout this comparison, we will be presenting the raw data as well as the explicativemethodologies used in the determination of the overall costs. While we have taken careand effort to present a holistic analysis, we are mindful that no organisation is likely tooperate with the exact pa rameters presented here, and we therefore recommend the use ofthe document as a guide only. Consider this document as a primer which you can use togenerate an enhanced TCO model specifically tailored for your organisation, by removingthose line items which dont make sense for your site and adding additional costs whichare specific to your organisation.Further, while this document makes express use of technology and services found withinthe IT industry, it is intended for an audience of nonITexecutives within small to mediumsized organisations.The final results are summarized in the tables below. One compares the TCO differencebetween Standard Linux (namely the one that isnt acquired with a prepaidsupportcontract) and Microsofts platform. The second compares Red Hats managed EnterpriseLinux and Microsofts platform.