Could Jamaica Government go Linux???

[donavon_campbell]

Here's a prime example of the current movement and the momentum that's been building....sooner or later Jamaica will feel the effect of changes throughout the world.

check the link...
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/05/te...f1133a99063509

-donavon

[CKnight]

There a two faactors in play here:

1) Our ability to

2) Our willingness to

The answers are simple, yes our government is able to go linux, and no, they are not willing to.

Too much at steak. Microsoft came into the island with flashy lights, photo ops, and the promise of many a investment to come.

Regardless of how true the latter may turn out to be, Paulwell is probably wrongfully betting on it and hoping to fatten his portfolio(as usual)

[psimpsonjr]

it depends on which goverment at this stage ;D

[Greatis]

hmmm well now hasn't this changed abit?

[Virus]

Are u sure about that link. Cuz its not working

[leoandru]

Yeah it works but its asking me to log in or register.

[Virus]

I guess that link wont be available again, September 5, 2002.....

[pigeonflight]

It works (after login)... but I'm sure there's more uptodate linux news

[birchoff]

Personally I dont beleive this quesiton is fair since asking it requires proper consideration of the reasons why and why not. Governments act according to what makes them more popular (most of the time) and in this case saving money to use in other programs will make them more popular. The problem with the government moving to linux is that almost all there non tech staff hiree's have used windows since they entered school. Now in order for them to move to linux they will have to retrain those people and that factors into the overall cost of switching or moving to linux. Some of you may think that is unfair but its business....

Now there is an old addage that I am very fond of, "If you build it, they will come." Now we all know that microsoft has its hands deep, deep into the governments pockets and since the only thing politicians care about is re-election (cant blame them). Then lunix advocates in jamaica will have to show them the light, treat them like the children they are. This means developing CBA's (Cost Benefit Analyses) for moving to linux. Show them how much money they will stand to lose if they use microsoft or other proprietary services. This cannot be done overnight. That means that you would have to do your CBA for both switching from windows to linux and starting with linux in your IT department. With your CBA in hand go court the different businesses in the country. Especially the start ups (no matter how few of them there are); after you gain enough clients in the country, then you can start putting pressure on the government. Show them and their powerful consituents (Yes contrary to popular belief constiuents to have power) how much of there tax payer money they are sending abroad and how little of it they are getting back. There is a word for this sort fo thing its called guerrilla tactics... And there is reason it is used by rebels the world over, IT WORKS

It will work because the essence of the microsoft strategy is to make it more expensive to change to something else, than to conitnue with their products....Kinda like an addict trying to kick the habbit, the withdrawal symptoms will kill you. They train our developers and Admins to use their systems which makes it cheap for the government to higher them. Where as linux developers and admins are few and far between(perceived or otherwise), which makes them more expensive. We have to flip the tables and make a *nix developer or IT professional have the same, if not less, costs than there windows equivalent.... Then microsoft will have to do battle on the share price of there product which we know *nix can win hands down.

[pigeonflight]

Birchoff,
So to summarize:
1. Let the government see the cost benefits
2. Get local customers/businesses to use Linux (which helps to demo the viability of the system)
3. Grow the Linux mindshare among developers and admins

Did I get it right?

You also noted the idea that it costs too much to retrain staff, have you though that the cost of training staff and bringing in a Linux consultant may actually fall below the cost of upgrading to a new suite of MS products? Also the MS products often need training for every upgrade anyway.