[Sussex] Linux market to exceed $35bn by 2008

[Andrew Guard]

> On Thu, 2005-02-03 at 17:28 +0000, Geoffrey Teale wrote:
>> On Thu, 2005-02-03 at 17:04 +0000, Angelo Servini wrote:
>> > I am now starting to realise that the stance of some of our members on
>> the growth of linux in the "free" market is not just wishful thinking
>> on our part.  I was a little cautious in believing this until I read
>> the following report.  Amazing but true!  I think M$ are a litte bit
>> more than worried.
>>
>> Angelo,
>>
>> It's all too easy to feel like no-one uses anything but Windows when you
>> work in a Microsoft only shop - the sort of people who blindly buy their
>> stuff believe the hype, and the policy line they quote themselves.  I've
>> been there more than once, people who know very little about the IT
>> market as a whole will tell you with absolute confidence that:
>>
>>  1. Microsoft is the only vendor of OS's, browser software and office
>> software that any business anywhere uses.
>>  2. Microsoft cannot be matched for
>> quality/reliability/features/security (because they're the biggest
>> vendor).
>>  3. People will laugh at you if you suggest using anything other than
>> Microsoft.
>
> I was seeing a client today who had been grumbling about the cost of M$
> software. He'd heard of Linux, but hadn't really contemplated using it
> as he's had no exposure to it. So I whipped out my notebook PC with
> Gentoo, Gnome 2.8 desktop, OpenOffice, Evolution etc. He was quite taken
> aback at how accessible it was. He's in the print business, so you would
> think he uses Macs a lot. Well, his designers do, but most of the print
> shop machines are Windows boxes. So it may be a bit of time before he
> migrates to Linux desktops.
>
> Anyway, he wants some more server capacity and has asked me to prepare a
> Linux server box to offer Windows and Mac file serving. From such small
> acorns large oaks do grow.
>
> Don't think it'll be Gentoo though. Might have to be Ubuntu. Or SuSE....


This is very true, it an issue of trust at the moment most business only
trust Microsoft etc.  Over time with use of open source people will begin
to trust open source software.  I think OpenOffice.Org is good for this
but not the answer as business will not use it as not trusted but Firefox
is a another issue all together.  No cares that much is about a browser as
done do much work with it and if goes wrong it easy to use IE.  The
problem with Office software is people could be using all day and they
have to trust it not to crash ever 5 minutes and they loss all there work.

Now I think the big push for linux will happen during 2006.  The reason is
simple Playstation 3.  The OS for Playstation 3 is going to Linux, in fact
you can get linux for PS2 today if want to do some home software
development upon it.  The linux PS2 is builded from is SuSE.  Now people
will start to see open source in being use and that not crashing where
they wouldn't much mind if crash or not.

This how it could happen?
The little kid will play games day in and day out with no problems.
One day the MD of what's you call it will have very day at work.  His
computer keeps on crashing all day long.  So when he got home he wanted to
put they mood on to the PS3.  Start playing games and notice the word
Linux keeps on coming up on PS3.  He rembers he read about some Linux
thing in the FT few weeks back where they where say that computers using
seamed never to crash. He next day ask his lad did the PS3 ever crash
work.

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