http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php Clinton Goveas' Weblog on the use of Open Source Technologies for Business Wed, 13 Nov 2002 13:43:14 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss092 os4b@clintongoveas.com os4b@clintongoveas.com I have started a new portal community dedicated to the Open Source movement. The best part is, I have set it up using an Open Source portal system! The portal is just getting started, and hence I will be shifting my blog posting activities to the portal to start building up the content there. This blog will still be linked for reference through the Web Links section of the portal. The portal provides a whole lot of additional functionality for community "blogging" that a simple weblog does not provide. You are invited to check it out for yourself and be a part of this potentially large & very active community. http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=35&c=1 The distance towards Open Source software seems to disappear. Presently, Open Source Software is perceived as the source of savings on licence fees, often of equal quality as commercial applications. Which tasks may be assigned to OSS without fear? Should we introduce OSS gradually in the company, or rather implement all at once? How much can we save? What should be avoided? Full Text http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=34&c=1 Red Hat has been working with Oracle to improve the desktop version of Red Hat's Linux operating system, with a view to providing an enterprise-class environment that will run Web-based versions of Oracle software applications. The companies already have partnered closely on the server version of Red Hat Linux, tuning it to run Oracle's database on clusters of Intel-based servers. That partnership apparently extends to client computers, providing customers with an option for running Oracle's software on Linux-based desktops and notebooks. Complete Story http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=33&c=1 If your organization has a number of older PCs running Microsoft Office, there are now several good reasons to seriously consider switching to the OpenOffice.org office suite. Most of these reasons have been supplied by none other than Microsoft itself. According to published reports, Office 11 (due next year) won't support Windows 95, 98, or ME. The earliest supported version, per the reports, will be Windows 2000. This means that a substantial number of organizations with pre-W2K systems will have to undergo a serious upgrade path or risk becoming incompatible with new versions of Office. Complete Story http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=32&c=1 Enterprise Linux Forum Conference & Expo, coming to Boston this December 3-4. Attend and learn how Linux and Linux-based datacenter solutions can be applied in the enterprise to cut costs, reduce risk, increase architectural flexibility and deliver real business value. Enterprise Linux Forum Conference & Expo The Only Forum for Linux Datacenter Solutions and Strategies Serving the Enterprise December 3-4, 2002 Boston Marriott Copley Place Boston, MA www.enterpriselinuxforum.com (Priority Code: 81LOC) http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=31&c=1 Senior research analyst and report author Mike Davis, from UK-based Butler Group, said the shift had started with smaller businesses moving to install Linux for file and print services, replacing Windows NT and lower-end Unix. Complete Story http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=30&c=1 New York Linux Scene is an organization dedicated to providing resources to the New York Linux Community. It's about developing open source leadership. Bound to no specific local NYC or NY Metro Area organization, it's members support the NY Linux and Free Software Scene with manpower, technology, money and time. It's goal is to enable NYC Area Linux users, Free Software users, and the NY population in general through their lugs, schools, businesses, and government agencies. NYLXS helps with installations, lectures, tutorials, mailing lists, scheduling of events, political lobbying, educational support to public schools and libraries, training, publicity, and more. Do you have a similar initiative in your area? Send us an email and let us know about it. http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=29&c=1 The Market Analysis System (MAS) is an open source software application that provides tools for analysis of financial markets using technical analysis. MAS provides facilities for stock charting and futures charting, including price, volume, and a wide range of technical analysis indicators. MAS also allows automated processing of market data, applying technical analysis indicators with user-selected criteria to market data to automatically generate trading signals, and can be used as the main component of a sophisticated trading system. http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=28&c=1 Luis Millan Vazquez de Miguel, a college professor turned politician, is succeeding where multinational corporations have failed. He's unseating Microsoft as the dominant player in the software industry, at least in his little part of the world. Vazquez de Miguel is the minister of education, science and technology in a western region of Spain called Extremadura, a mostly rural expanse of olive trees with 1.1 million inhabitants. In April, the government launched an unorthodox campaign to convert all the area's computer systems, in government offices, businesses and homes, from the Windows operating system to Linux. Complete Story http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=27&c=1 A major hurdle to the widespread usage of Open Source technologies in business today, is the issue of "lack of awareness". Businesses need to first understand the definition of open source, and then comprehend the benefits they can enjoy due to usage of Open Source technologies. They then need to be aware of the range of software available from the stables of the Open Source movement. The next hurdle businesses have to overcome is their apprehension for "lack of support" for these technologies. To overcome this fear, businesses have to conduct a deliberate search for service providers in their line of work. The services that service providers can provide range from setting up the hardware/software environment, to operational support, and associated training. The best way to search for such service providers in by looking for them in the online directories of local search engines. In most cases, they will be listed under "Computers & Internet > Software > Open Source", though this may change depending on your local search engine's directory structure. Security is another concern for businesses. Read about more developments on the issue of security in Open Source. Read an article on the increasing adoption of Open Source in Australia, that covers the issues Australian businesses are looking at while shifting to Open Source. http://os4b.clintongoveas.com/blog/index.php?p=26&c=1