back to article Reg readers feel the squeeze in 2010 IT budgets

Preliminary results from our 2009/10 x86 Vendor Preference Survey show that the economy has had a considerable impact on IT spending among our survey respondents. While this is perhaps a self-evident finding, it gives us some data to hang our hats on. We stress that these results are tentative, as the survey is still out in the …

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  1. yossarianuk
    Linux

    One obvious way of cost saving

    I do hope that business's realise the savings that can be made using Linux desktops, aside from the cost of the OS the savings in software is insane and the lack of downtime will increase savings.

    Most office workers will have all the programs they need to do their jobs, AutoCad, photoshop and games (which are about the only common apps used you can't get an equal equivalent in Linux) are not needed by most people.

    In our office its about 60 linux / 40 windows spilt - strangely it is always Windows users that are offline the entire day when they have issues/viruses, etc (thus making the rest of the team work harder)

    1. BigRedS
      Linux

      Linuxy cost savings

      "I do hope that business's realise the savings that can be made using Linux desktops, aside from the cost of the OS the savings in software is insane and the lack of downtime will increase savings."

      The problem is that many many managers need cost savings *now*, and the way you do that is not to try a new technology that requires training.

      Realistically, Windows costs us very little to keep going. We have ~900 seats which we've bought for XP and Office, and they don't cost any more. We've already paid for most of the Windows-specific support (900 antivirus seats, drive cloning, etc.) and the cheapest thing to do now really is to stick with what we've got and what we know.

      Especially since along with saving money in software, everyone's doing it manpower too. Not a good time to have everyone need to learn an entirely new OS.

      The downtime I do find amusing, though. I still haven't quite reconciled myself with the fact that Patch Tuesday guarantees 20mins of downtime every four weeks for our Windows boxes.

  2. Chika
    Black Helicopters

    All sounds very familiar to me

    As ever, the biggest problem is where people consult IT last and treat it as one might the family dog. When we start growling and barking because we have been neglected, we get put out of the door. When we don't do what we are needed to do because we are dying on our feet, we get kicked.

    The reason isn't too obscure. Too many people believe themselves to be IT experts and come up with all sorts of loopy ideas, never once thinking to ask the IT folk themselves until it is too bloody late. We look like villians, they get pissed off. We still don't get enough buy in at the opening of projects, and we still don't get enough access to the overall planning. You'll find that the better IT situations tend only to occur where the IT has healthy connections in the board room, otherwise...

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    Linux will save you you money

    IT is not the desktop....

    The actual cost of IT is the people and the processes - take a look at any large project and you will see that from implementation and also from an operations viewpoint. Again the old chestnut, the 80:20 Pareto principle .... and IT is not just the desktop - that is totaly vitualisable - it is the applications that present on those desktop screens. Most users just need an email client, a word processor and a spreadsheet.

    Then IT always seem to know what is best for the business - news flash - you are just delivering a service - same as the guy cleaning the toilette. And soon - it will be cheaper to outsource you too.

    You guys need to get out more!!!

  4. Trevor Pott o_O Gold badge

    IT & budgets

    *sob*

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