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Re: [Sheflug] A couple non-technical questions.....
Some interesting answers on this thread, but I would also like to hear some
economic arguments in favour of GNU/Linux etc. I am sure there are some of
you out there with some ideas, but here are a few starters for ten...
The Objective 1 funding program in South Yorkshire aims to create 15000 new
companies over the next few years - mainly in high tech growth industries. If
each of these new companies buys 1 computer, and goes down the proprietary
route for its general desktop software e.g. Windows / Office etc. it is quite
likely to spend around £1000 on software per machine over a three year
period. From past experience I think that is a very
conservative estimate. So, we have here £15m out of the EU funding destined
for South Yorkshire immediately going straight out of the local economy.
The O1 program also recognises that there is a serious skills shortage in the
area of systems admin and network technicians etc. The result of this is that
a significant proportion of the O1 funding will be used in training more
people up to MSCE and similar qualifications to free up those in the region
with more advanced qualifications. It has been found from various case
studies that many fewer technicians are required to administer and maintain
systems based on Linux - so it seems to me that adopting Linux would go a
considerable way to addressing the skills problem too.
Finally - in the last couple of years I have started doing embedded system
development work (after a gap of several years doing other things), and am
now developing new products for several local manufacturing companies (yes -
there are a few left). Having had to do some serious updating of my skills, I
am now convinced that using Linux based tools for this work is the _only_ way
I could have re-established business on my own - the tools are brilliant,
reliable and (as Ted has also said very eloquently in his own reply) the
command line has an awful lot going for it.
If you have any thoughts - please let me know - as I would like to put
together a summary of such arguments.
Regards
Bob Holland
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Sheffield Linux User's Group -
http://www.sheflug.co.uk/mailfaq.html
GNU the choice of a complete generation.