[H-GEN] FW: [linux-biz] Re: Your company

TRIGGER Peter (QSO) ptrigger at powerlink.qld.gov.au
Mon Apr 20 02:17:10 EDT 1998



> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Evan Summers [SMTP:evan at sr.co.za]
> Sent:	Wednesday, March 11, 1998 8:05 PM
> To:	Bernard Lang
> Cc:	linux-biz at lege.com; Alex Harin
> Subject:	[linux-biz] Re: Your company
> 
> 
> 
> >    Can you tell me more ... is there a document describing this
> > How was it decided ...
> >    sounds like a great article for linux-journal
> 
> Yes, we are due to write an article on this installation for Linux
> Journal's "Linux means business", but time has been a problem, but
> hopefully I'll get down to it in May. 
>  
> >    but I am organizing a Conference on march 20th about economic
> > issues of free software (which seems to be attracting polotical
> > attention), and all significant examples, especially of that
> magnitude
> 
> We're off to JavaOne in SF next week, and there's no time for any
> articles
> right now, but I can elaborate a bit, and offer myself as a reference
> on
> this installation. 
> 
> This client is a retail group of companies with a number of retail
> chains
> in furniture (3 chains, approximately 560 stores in total), fashion (2
> chains, 365 stores) and building supplies (1 chain, 80 stores),
> approximately 1000 stores and 6,000 users. All stores have Linux
> server
> (Intel-based) and on average 5 diskless PCs booting Linux via bootROMs
> off
> the server, for cashiers, debtors' clerks, etcetera. The in-store
> servers
> have a modem for comms, where we support UUCP and demand-dial PPP. 
> 
> Linux is used exclusively by all these chains for their
> mission-critical
> transaction processing systems, including in the central envirnoment
> and
> warehouse/distribution centers, right down to in-store servers and 
> point-of-sale terminals as I've mentioned. 
> 
> An interesting point is that if SCO was used, the client really would
> have
> been forced to opt for character-based terminals (because of cost of
> licenses per CPU), whereas Linux gave them the option of the diskless
> PCs,
> i.e. Network Computers, which will afford them flexibility in future. 
> 
> Windows was not even an option because all software support is
> provided by
> ourselves (remotely via dialup comms), and using Windows would have
> made
> remote support an impossible task.  
> 
> Besides these issues, Linux realised a cost saving for the client,
> which
> is significant since 4000 licenses otherwise would have been required.
> 
> However, the main reason for our proposing Linux in the first place,
> is
> that we find that we are able to offer the client excellent support
> for
> Linux, more so than if we were liasing with SCO or Microsoft to
> resolve
> problems for instance.  Where we can't fix problems ourselves in a
> day,
> and have consulted the Linux community, problems are resolved in a
> matter
> of hours, not weeks... 
> 
> 
> 
> Kind regards
> 
> Evan
> 
> ______________________Evan Summers PhD * New Product Development
> Manager
> ________________Universal Computer Services * Johannesburg, South
> Africa
> ____________ebs at ucs.co.za * telephone +27 11 339-6111 *
> http://ucs.co.za
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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