Comments on: Time for West Wing OS X v10.5.6

By: Stilgherrian

Stilgherrian — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:08:05 +0000

Whether using free open source software or commercial closed-source software, the cost of software licensing is usually a very small proportion of the overall cost of the IT project. And so, for that matter, is the hardware. Typically the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an information system is between 5x an 10x the hardware cost.

The key factors affecting cost are coherent specification and planning (inadequacies here can cause costs to inflate massively as work is re-done to meet ever-shifting requirements), training and on-going maintenance and support. There may also be the need to re-work other systems. For example, if Centrelink decided to consolidate staff in a central office and interview its “customers” by video, their network would have to be upgraded to provide significantly more bandwidth.

Costs are usually a lot higher in a government environment thanks to additional documentation requirements, and often additional security needs.

Selecting IT system components via slogans is a very poor strategy.

By: Rowan

Rowan — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:29:42 +0000

Open source isn’t free. There are numerous hidden costs related to support, customizations and maintenance that a large company or Government department will invariably end up paying for. So you can pay now or pay later, but either way, you will pay. The only difference between these two options is that after you’ve come to the realization that it’s not free, you’ll want to switch back to commercial software.

By: Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:10:31 +0000

Bernard could be right: Obama shows interest in open source

By: Bernard Kealey

Bernard Kealey — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:42:45 +0000

nah; they’re saving money. Just load ubuntu up and open office. Will work fine on anything, and will show that they’re not being outrageously wasteful. And think of the environmental cred it would show!!!