<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1515" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV>We use Linux, We use Windows but ultimately the choice comes down to
<BR>business requirements. We have a requirement to develop applications
<BR>on and for Windows. Because of this and the complexity of our
<BR>internal applications we're not in a position to use Linux across the
<BR>board - however we use it where it benefits us, but not for cost. On
<BR>that it remains relatively cost neutral.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> That's an important point
- it is getting more expensive to deploy Linux and</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In some ways it's defeating one
of the major selling points that Linux used to have.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Still we can't expect something
for nothing, so I think you're right - It's a case of</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Finding out what the advantages
are of deploying a technology in certain areas.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Cost is the major advantage to
consumers - coupled with ease of use and </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> hassle free integration into the
working environment. I'm thinking of the case</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> where, for example, a small
company with little to no IT support needs someone</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> to come in and sort out the
infrastructure. The main concern I find is firstly -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Can you fix our problem - then
after the solution comes "can you make it run </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> smoothly for us" and then they
think about costs. Whereas with a startup company</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> the cost is prime concern. Cost
of setting up and licence fees followed by cost of</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> support. The best a support team
can do is to work on the ways to comply with </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> the requirements of a company
with regard to cost both in time and money</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> because time is
money.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>