IBM, Canonical release 'Microsoft-free' virtual Linux desktop bundle
Another push to break Microsoft's stranglehold on the desktop
December 4, 2008 12:00 PM ETComputerworld - IBM and Canonical Inc. today announced a virtualized software bundle with Lotus desktop applications running on top of Ubuntu Linux that they say is far cheaper than running Microsoft Corp.'s Office suite on conventional Windows PCs.
It's the latest salvo in IBM's ongoing battle to break Microsoft's stranglehold on the desktop.
According to IBM, the virtual Linux desktop suite could cost large companies as little as $59 per person. That would include a minimal configuration of $49 for the VERDE desktop virtualization software from a third vendor, Virtual Bridges, $10 for Ubuntu Linux support, and no cost for Lotus Symphony productivity software.
A full-fledged Linux desktop system that includes Lotus Notes e-mail, Sametime instant messaging, and other collaboration tools would cost $258 per user, according to IBM.
Customers would also save on labor costs, because moving to a server-side system would cut maintenance needs, said Inna Kuznetsova, director of Linux strategy at IBM. The server-based setup could also reduce hardware costs by extending the life spans of desktop PCs.
"This is hopefully the first step in multiple announcements to come from us," she said.
In August, IBM said it had reconfigured its Lotus productivity and collaboration software so it would be easier to bundle with Linux distributions like Red Hat, Ubuntu and Novell Inc.'s SUSE Linux.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
IBM and its partners plan to sell the bundle directly and through reseller partners. Asked if IBM planned to host and deliver the software itself as a service, as Microsoft plans to do with Office Web, Kuznetsova said, "we have no announcements at this time, though we will certainly look at this."
Kuznetsova acknowledged that IBM's calculations don't factor in the potentially high cost of migrating users from Microsoft Office and Windows to the Linux virtual desktop environment, or the cost of extra server and networking hardware needed to host the software.
Nor has IBM calculated how the Linux virtual desktop stacks up cost-wise versus the virtual Windows desktop system, using desktop virtualization from VMware Inc., Citrix Systems Inc. or Microsoft, Kuznetsova said.
"We are certainly cheaper than migrating to Office 2007 on Vista," she said.
IBM
Additional Resources



Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.
White Papers & Webcasts
The Commercialization of ITIL: Lessons Learned
Register for this event today!
Oracle Accelerate - Not Just Smart but Timely
Download Now!
Key Findings: Accelerating ROI with BPM
Click here to watch now!
Why BI is Ripe - Now! - For Businesses of Any Size
Download Now!
Data Protection is not an insurance policy -you cannot buy-back lost data
Find out why you need to maintain access to critical information to run your business and remain competitive.
Computerworld Reports
Strategic Content ManagementLearn how the right Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solution can start saving you money within a week and pay for itself in as little as three months. These case studies and white papers provide practical information on how to go from theory to reality - to help you put together a plan that will achieve your content management and process automation goals. Enter the Strategic Content Management Zone now |

