Although it’s not yet a done deal, David Bowen (CIO of the FAA) said recently that he’s taking a very close look at Google’s application offering (to be run on Linux), in place of Microsoft’s Office Suite and Windows Vista. The idea is to have Dell (the FAA’s primary hardware vendor) supply them with PC’s running Linux and a non-Microsoft browser to access Google Applications. This was hinted at last week, along with the DOT’s head of technology announcing that his organization will not be migrating to Windows Vista anytime soon, due to security and compatibility issues.

Microsoft is really taking heat here in a time where it is expected to be in its glory and selling millions and millions of new software licenses. If, after further consideration, Bowen decides to go the Google route, this would mean a combined count of 60,000 users in the public sector who will no longer be using Microsoft applications on the desktop level.

Perhaps it’s time for Microsoft to rethink its strategy for the distribution of Vista and Office 2007, instead of waiting another two years for the next revision…

Well, here we go… Chalk up another stumbling block for Microsoft to hurdle in its plans of world domination. They were hoping organizations would begin to upgrade to Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Internet Explorer 7 by now, however apparently the Federal Government doesn’t agree. I’m sure Microsoft didn’t appreciate hearing Daniel Mintz (CIO for the US Department of Transportation) announce in a January 19^th memo to his staff, “”an indefinite moratorium” on the upgrades as “there appears to be no compelling technical or business case for upgrading to these new Microsoft software products. Furthermore, there appears to be specific reasons not to upgrade.”” OUCH!

The memo, uncovered today by InformationWeek, indefinitely affects 15,000 users in the DOT and, according to Paul McDougall of InformationWeek, “a similar ban is in effect at the Federal Aviation Administration, which has 45,000 desktop users.” That’s 60,000 users and counting… So, although it’s not always a good idea to follow the Federal Government’s lead in technology adoption practices, I believe Mr. Mintz has reason to object to any upgrades; at least for now.

The main reasons cited for banning such an upgrade related to compatibility issues and security concerns, both of which we have already suspected. However, even after the NSA helped to co-develop the Vista security platform, Mintz objects and expresses concerns and doesn’t even see a “compelling technical or business case” to upgrading, this spells trouble for Microsoft. Will other Federal agencies follow suit? Stay tuned as I’m sure this will be clogging the airwaves shortly…

While many companies will often look at the direct costs associated with a technology upgrade (hardware, software, telecommunications), they rarely take into account the “soft” costs associated with training their employees on a new system. Even more important, companies are just starting to realize the real benefits and increased revenue from training their employees on a new system. However, what about making an investment in training your employees to more efficiently use your existing systems?

A new study conducted by researchers at MIT and Boston University (both in my fair city), analyzed how IT makes people more productive. (Keep in mind the study was funded by major technology companies Cisco and Intel, among others. However, it has been recognized by the International Conference on Information Systems as the best paper of late.)

The study comprised 125,000 email messages, five years of project data and survey responses from a cross section of respondents. You can read a decent ComputerWorld interview with Co-Author Marshall Van Alstyne here and abstracts from the study here and here. While it is most certainly a good idea to train your employees on any new systems you have, think about doing so for your current systems as well. Alstyne summarizes:

“Invest in IT skills. High IT skill levels reduce the perception of information overload and facilitate multitasking, which is directly associated with increases in revenue. But don’t necessarily expect high IT users to be faster in project completions. The real impact is that they’re doing so much more. It’s total projects completed, not time per project.”

Although there is a tipping point where productivity starts to decrease due to too much multitasking, I couldn’t have said it better than Alstyne does here. How many of your users really know how to effectively multitask with your existing systems? Start with training them on the current systems a bit more and see what results they produce… I’m curious to hear about the results.

In Bexley Ohio, school district officials announced last week that they will migrate all computers to Linux from Microsoft Windows by 2010, apparently saving them $412,000. (This number should be argued, as I doubt they considered the true cost, but more on that later.) While this decision was based on a number of issues (cost being the primary motivator), it brings up the question that Steve Ballmer has been fearing: With the introduction of Windows Vista to the market, will this mark the time for organizations to consider migrating to Linux for their desktop operating systems? Will companies, schools, hospitals, etc. decide to take a closer look at Linux, while considering the time-consuming and costly process of upgrading to Windows Vista?

I’m not going to tell you it’s a good idea for everyone; however this does something very important by forcing us to evaluate the true cost of an upgrade. Not only do Vista (and Office 2007) require more memory and processing power but any other software programs you use will have to be compatible as well (see my post on Vista-Approved applications). That means, hardware, software, management costs (all direct and indirect).

While the Bexley school district was still stuck in the dark ages, using the worst operating system ever created (Windows ME), I have seen worse environments where more complex issues come to light. It is probably true, in this case, that Linux saved the district a sizable amount of money, but let’s hope they planned on supporting this new system with the knowledgeable people they will need. There are some excellent companies out there who specialize in particular vertical markets and support (and will proactively migrate and manage a Linux environment for you), but make sure you complete your due diligence.

One last note: One company I have worked with, who has a stellar Linux offering for the right environment, is Resara. Check them out and let me know if you’d like more information on their “Linux Thin Client.”

Microsoft announced today its list of 800 “Vista Approved” third-party applications. Some items not listed on this list may still work, however good luck getting any support from Microsoft on their compatibility. You can view the full list and announcement here.

However, please note some of the more important omissions from this list. According to computerworld.com, “Popular Windows software that is conspicuously missing from Microsoft’s list includes Adobe Systems Inc.’s entire line of graphics and multimedia software, Symantec Corp.’s security products, as well as the Mozilla Foundation’s open-source Firefox Web browser, Skype Ltd.’s free voice-over-IP software and the OpenOffice.org alternative to Microsoft Office.”

Some of the more common applications listed to work as “bug-free” with Windows Vista “include CorelDraw and WordPerfect from Corel Corp., PowerDVD from Cyberlink, Nero 7 Premium, Trend Micro AntiVirus and PC-Cillin, AutoCad 2008, QuickBooks 2007 from Intuit Inc., Microsoft Office 2007 and many other Microsoft applications.”

The computerworld.com article is a great resource for specifics, but again my advice is to wait, wait and wait to migrate to Vista. Again, the question remains: What reasons are there to upgrade and do these reasons tell a compelling enough story to make you restock your collection of Tums?!?

The following was taken from an article on StartupNation.com, of which IV is a contributing member. Written by Marcia Layton Turner, it has some decent things to say which I feel are worth passing along. The full article can be read here.

1) Identify the problem

When EndSight saw its customer satisfaction, efficiency and employee satisfaction levels plummeting, management knew it was time to make a change.

But even if your company isn’t experiencing problems or bottlenecks, there may still be opportunities to improve overall efficiency and productivity.

Eric Hobbs, president of Cary, N.C.-based Technology Associates, Inc., suggests companies start by looking at “whatever they do repeatedly for customers.” Then seek out technology that can help the business do that work faster or better. “Inefficiency is expensive,” Carroll agrees.

2) Determine What You Need

Once you’ve zeroed in on processes needing improvement, the next step is finding the technology best-suited for the situation. In most cases, small business owners shouldn’t be making such choices themselves, although many still try to “cobble it together,” Hobbs says, maybe by asking for help from a colleague or neighbor.

Like Carroll, Hobbs strongly advocates hiring an information technology consultant to recommend equipment and a plan for the future.

Even EndSight, a company of IT specialists, hired a consultant for help in choosing the most appropriate equipment. Recognizing its lack of familiarity with phone systems, the firm decided to leave its integration to the experts.

One place to start looking for qualified IT vendors and consultants, Hobbs suggests, is Microsoft’s Small Business Center. He also advises sticking with name-brand hardware and software to avoid most major problems. “Ninety percent of a small business’s needs can be handled by off-the-shelf products, many of which are already seamlessly integrated,” he says – meaning, as Florin Pal of Business Communications Solutions puts it – that they’ll “play nice with other equipment.”

3) Develop a plan

After choosing your IT vendor or consultant, the next step is creating a plan for getting from where you are to where you want to be tech-wise. A timeline, equipment list and critical steps should be part of that plan, including how employees will be brought into the loop.

“One of the key things people overlook is their personnel,” says Pal, customer service manager at Business Communications Solutions of Irvine, Calif. While you may be ahead of the curve in your familiarity with different technologies, don’t assume your employees are right there with you. Some may actually be tech-averse. “Don’t jump too far ahead with the technology,” Pal says. “Take incremental steps and everyone can use the new features and benefit from them, rather than being frustrated.”

4) Install the Equipment

Likewise, “the fewer systems the better,” says David Koretz, CEO of BlueTie, of Rochester, N.Y. “Sixty percent of enterprise software sits on a shelf unused,” he says, reinforcing the importance of investing in software that will improve your company’s performance. “Don’t implement technology for technology’s sake – do it to make more money,” Carroll adds.

Training should also be a part of your roll-out plan, as well as access to consultants for post support.

5) Keep It Maintained

“People forget about the maintenance,” says Pal, but keeping software and hardware up-to-date will assure that your technology and your business run smoothly – and continue to grow together.

Last May I discussed the importance of proper, thorough planning when considering your corporate software standards and the associated upgrades. Now that Windows Vista is fully available to corporations (with the consumer release only a week away), please keep in mind the importance of planning this out and review the total cost of upgrades and what actual ROI you will see… Please, keep in mind the reasons why you WOULD upgrade… At this point I don’t see a single valid point to upgrading, at least until Microsoft has released service pack 1 a bit later this year.

I have included below two fairly comprehensive lists: 10 reasons to upgrade to Vista and 10 reasons not to. These two lists are available with associated annotations and explanations at apcmag.com and were written by Dan Warne and Ashton Mills, respectively. Please note that some given reasons are not entirely true, in particular Mills’ statement in #10 about ownership rights and license transfers. I’ve discussed this in greater detail here. However, overall I think the cons outweigh the pros by a healthy margin; for now. There will be a time where your organization should implement Vista, but there is always time for testing and planning this upgrade, so let’s not to add to Microsoft’s margins just yet.

“10 reasons you should get Vista”

1. UI built for the era of video and digital photography
2. Image-based install
3. Up-to-date driver base and better driver handling on installation
4. Desktop search and search folders built in
5. Sleep mode that actually works
6. Rock-solid laptop encryption
7. Better file navigation
8. Inbuilt undelete
9. DirectX10
10. Face it, you have no choice

“10 reasons not to get Vista”

1. You don’t actually need it
2. Cost $$
3. On that note, it’s outrageously overpriced
4. Upgrading hardware
5. Driver support
6. Applications that don’t
7. It’s a big fat target
8. UAC
9. DRM
10. The draconian license

If I read this correctly, according to this Microsoft press release, they have signed off on the code for Vista and released it to manufacturing. This also means that you now have access to download it if you are a MSDN Premium subscriber. Please note: I don’t see the download as of yet, but this could change at anytime.

“The availability to MSDN^® Premium subscribers of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system on release to manufacturing.”

Let us know if you have any questions and good luck with the testing and exploration.

After initially announcing more restrictions on how many times a user can transfer a boxed copy of Windows Vista, Microsoft responded to the outcry of many today and reversed its decision.

I originally wrote about these restrictions last month when they were first announced. It’s good to see Microsoft finally coming around to public opinion (CNET opinion tracker) and admitting that perhaps they were being a bit too greedy again… or are they just trying to appease the blogosphere.

In a letter to journalists sent out today (this according to CNet.com), Microsoft has finally committed to a release date for its new flagship products Windows Vista and Office 2007. November 30^th is the day the software giant will officially unveil these releases to the corporate space, with availability on consumer’s shelves and OEM installs slated for January of next year. This, coming after months and months of push-backs, delays and floundering, should make for an interesting 2008.

Is your organization planning on adopting Microsoft’s newest gems or will you hold off like most adapters until they work the kinks out a bit more? Certainly something to think about; and please think long and hard about all of the costs and consequences associated with this upgrade. One other note of interest is that Microsoft is still vague on when it might release its latest version of Exchange (at the end of this year or the beginning of 2007)… let’s see what that really means…