Services and Support Become the Killer Linux Apps

Yet another foreign government organization announced their intent to dump Windows for Linux and open source. Starting in mid-2007, the French parliament will equip the PCs in their deputies’ offices with a Linux operating system and open-source productivity software.

This announcement follows a September update from the city of Munich on the progress of its Linux project initiated back in 2003. If you happen to remember, the Munich project was one of the first to shoot right at the heart of Microsoft’s monopoly and helped fuel an industry debate around the viability and adoption rate of desktop Linux. At the time, the blogosphere lit up with potential speculation around the city’s decision ranging from payback for Microsoft licensing 6.0 to anti-American sentiment surrounding the Iraq war. It all seems like ancient history now, doesn’t it?

Beyond the historical appeal, the Munich project itself exposed some of the classic Linux deployment issues customers often face when trekking along the open source migration path. While undoubtedly we will continue to watch these government-sponsored open source projects roll out, they do highlight the potential for another form of open source contribution that as a community, I hope we are committed to embracing. Now that the early-adoption projects are going live we should begin to focus not only on sharing code, but also identifying and sharing best practices for the successful deployment of open source solutions.

Having made this call-for-action, I know someone out there is going to ask me what best practice I would contribute…so here it goes:

In the device software market, I keep an ongoing, direct dialog with Wind River’s customers about the open source issues that concern them and the best practices they feel have helped them be successful with Linux adoption. Based on my discussions, if I had to relay only one piece of advice relevant for any customer (enterprise or device manufacturer) considering a Linux solution, it would be to prioritize and carefully select options for professional services, support and training as part of an overall migration plan. Incorporating globally accessible professional services, support and training offerings from open source experts is a key learning that our customers tell us again and again has led to their project success. 

Apparently I’m on to something because a “special sauce” Linux distribution was not the “Killer App” Oracle pulled out of its powerful arsenal to take on Red Hat. Nope, as we learned a few weeks back, services and support became the “Killer Apps” Oracle is relying on to entice Red Hat customers away. Oracle’s Linux distribution will be a clone of Red Hat’s making services and support the differentiator based on price. It's getting interesting - the competitors are starting to place their bets and tip their hands.

Enough about Oracle and Red Hat though. My point is really about broadening our approach for contributing to the community. If, by any chance, you have any thoughts on best practices for open source adoption, please share. I know there are lots of us out there who’d be interested and grateful for the input.