[Nottingham] Group-sourced presentation! (OS/Systems Market Share of the 'Cloud', internet, and IT in general)

[Jason Irwin]

On 17/02/15 12:55, Martin wrote:
> Big users of Linux ?
LSE -
http://www.itpro.co.uk/615985/why-the-london-stock-exchange-went-for-linux
NASDAQ - http://lwn.net/Articles/411064/
Munich - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiMux (OK, they wrote their own
distro which is maybe a smidge excessive in your case!)
Extremadura -
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2265108/spains-extremadura-government-switches-40-000-pcs-to-linux-and-open-source-software
Gendarmerie -
https://www.linux.com/news/enterprise/case-studies/7981-linux-picked-in-gendarmerie-lineup
Facebook
Google -
http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-truth-about-goobuntu-googles-in-house-desktop-ubuntu-linux/
   Quote> Googlers must ask to use Windows because “Windows is harder
because it has 'special'
   Quote> security problems so it requires high-level permission before
someone can use it.”
   Quote> In addition, “Windows tools tend to be heavy and inflexible.”
NASA -
https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/535755-organizing-open-source-efforts-at-nasa
VMWare - ESX is Linux and they are a Silver Partner of the Linux Foundation

> Market share: Linux scalable at both extremes for powering most
> supercomputers and yet also most home appliances and mobiles?...
But you're not trying to sell them on Linux are you? You are selling
them on CentOS or other weapon-of-choice.
Windows is on supercomputers, servers, desktops, ATMs, cars, mobiles and
embedded systems as well.

The humungous advantage any GNU/Linux has over Windows is flexibility.
Features aren't randomly disabled or limited and you can spin-up a new
server without worrying about FAST kicking your door down. Essential in
a highly virtualised environment.

I'd also mention security. Whilst F/OSS isn't perfect, it is much harder
to hide nefarious backdoors in code anyone can look at. Assuming anyone
bothers to look of course.
And now we have HDDs infecting Windows at boot:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/17/kaspersky_labs_equation_group/
I dunno if GNU/Linux can be attacked the same way, my guess is "Yes,
given enough effort" but...well...that GrayFish diagram doesn't mention it.
Depending on how tin-foil-hat they are, that could work.

> And that is part of the lock-in: An imposed way-of-working that ingrains
> the inflexible expectation of employees who have only ever seen
> "Windows" for their entire non-IT trained life as users.
Thing is, ActiveDirectory does seem to work quite well.

> Some people are very afraid of change and so have a strong need to be
> reassured that their working life will remain 'unchanged'...
Once you are using Windows and specifically MS tools, you are locked in
(e.g. RDP protocols etc). If those tools are not causing pain, they will
see no reason to change.
If the current strategy/platform isn't causing problems, what benefit
will change bring other than increased risk?

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