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WEBSPHERE JOURNAL: HOW OFTEN DO YOU SEE PURE-LINUX SHOPS VERSUS ENTERPRISES THAT HAVE A MULTITUDE OF OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS DEPLOYED?

AJ: There's very few 'pure anything' shops these days in IT. What we typically see is a mixture of hardware platforms and operating environments deployed. And even if an IT shop standardized on one operating environment five years ago, today they have to handle a mixed environment since they need to integrate their IT with the their partners, suppliers, and customers - many of which will have made a different decision. The Internet has changed everything.

So we see Linux integrated with Windows, Linux integrated with zSeries mainframes, Linux integrated with Unix, and so on. Sometimes this is even on the same system using virtualization technologies - and this is only going to increase more as IT shops look for better utilization of IT resources and more dynamic computing.

WEBSPHERE JOURNAL: SUPPORT, OR LACK THE REOF, SEEMS TO BE A BIG POTENTIAL DRAWBACK TO LINUX. HOW DOES IBM HANDLE THIS ISSUE?

AJ: I think this was an issue in the past, but most customers have moved on from there. Today you can purchase 24x7 support contracts for Linux from IBM and others, just as you can purchase 24x7 AIX or DB2 support contracts. In fact we've been offering these for five years now. Enterprise customer requirements don't change in this sense - they want to be confident their mission-critical systems are going to be available when they need them.

We offer first- and second-level support, we link with Red Hat and Novell SuSE on third-level support, and we have very deep skills inside IBM on Linux through the hundreds of our programmers and engineers who are contributing to Linux and its development.

WEBSPHERE JOURNAL: DOES IBM SUPPORT OSDL, AND IF SO, HOW?

AJ: Yes - IBM was one of the founding members of OSDL, w e're on the board, and we're working with OSDL on a variety of Linux activities. This ranges from our involvement in its working groups such as Desktop Linux...to providing enterprise hardware to help their developers...to working with OSDL and other vendors on joint marketing activities. A couple of months ago, OSDL hosted a joint press announcement about Linux adoption in the retail industry, which brought together IBM, HP, Red Hat, Novell, and BakBone Software. How often do you see competitors do that?

Sidebar:

IBM Roundtables Its Linux Strategy
Finds advantages beyond TCO

IBM has developed an active Linux strategy for its enterprise IT customers based on its belief that "over the last decade, Linux has seen increasing international adoption as the platform of choice both for cost savings and broader business benefits like flexibility, scalability and security," according to a company statement.

Company management also believes that "as these Linux deployments start to mature, enterprises are reaping unexpected bonuses. Initially considered for the lower TCO, which is still a driving force, these companies are now enjoying consolidated application workload, reduced systems management investment, and optimized cost performance across the value chain."

So IBM recently held what it called a roundtable teleconference in which it presented recent findings about Linux and how it fits into customers' enterprise IT strategy. Adam Jollans (interviewed in this issue of WebSphere Journal) and Scott Handy, vice-president, Worldwide Linux, IBM Systems and Technology Group, represented IBM during the call.

Also present were Charles King, principle analyst, Pund-IT Research, and two members of the Robert Francis Group, Cal Braunstein, CEO and executive director of research, and Chad Robinson, principle analyst.

The event was called "TCO Benefits of Linux." The discussion elicited several overarching messages that these executives share about the Linux operating system today. These findings included:

• Linux continues to lead in total cost of ownership over Windows x86 (40%) and SPARC Solaris (54%) according to Robert Francis Group research
• Production results show Linux administrators can often manage more systems that Windows administrators in a given amount of time, resulting in reduced management costs and less overall complexity in management activities
• Linux can reduce on-going licensing and maintenance costs, especially where per-processor licensing models are used
• Linux also provides a number of strategic benefits not available in Solaris or Windows. It runs on a broad range of hardware platforms and is cost-competitive when scaled well both horizontally and vertically
• It enjoys solid ISV support, and is available from a number of vendors in several licensing and support models
• Linux benefits include minimal initial acquisition costs, as well as significant reduction or elimination of ongoing software licensing costs compared to proprietary systems
• Linux also allows users to choose lower-cost hardware or extend the life of existing systems, potentially changing hardware ROI
• Linux also helps free businesses to choose the hardware solutions that best meet the needs of their business applications and workloads
• Second-stage benefits arise from longer-term tactical and strategic issues such as Linux adoption for or adaptation to new IT business processes
• Linux can also help simplify a variety of IT management efforts; enhancing IT staff performance and lowering system maintenance and management costs

• Robert Francis Group: www1.ibm.com/linux/whitepapers/robertFrancesGroupLinuxTCOAnalysis05.pdf
• Pund-IT: www1.ibm.com/linux/whitepapers/pundITLinuxSecondStageBenefits.pdf

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