Ubuntu in the SMB/SME Market?

NightShade03

I'm looking to see what everyone thinks of ubuntu breaking into the small - med size business market. They do a pretty good job but many people have concerns about them truly competing against Microsoft SBS 2008. Also do you think that the "Avg Joe" could setup or manage such a system?

Grynder

I think the problem with getting any Linux desktop in to an office is the end user. The vast majority of users know just enough to get their work done. The chaos created by the Office ribbon is a recent example. Users don't want change and even after training/instructions you still have to deal with complaints.

NightShade03

Ah well thats a valid point, I should have noted too in the original post that I was thinking more along the lines of just the servers. IE. Running windows desktops and ubuntu servers. I know an ubuntu server can't replicate all SBS functions...yet.

dynamik

And MS Office stomps the competition, so it's going to be very rare to find a business that's willing to give up that sort of functionality. Plus, what they spend in support probably will cost more than licensing what they're used to.

binarysoul

Grynder wrote: »

I think the problem with getting any Linux desktop in to an office is the end user. The vast majority of users know just enough to get their work done. The chaos created by the Office ribbon is a recent example. Users don't want change and even after training/instructions you still have to deal with complaints.

It's a Micro$oft-backed claim! For years now M$ has been telling people that users don't like anything but M$ products as if people are born with M$ products in their bellies and brains! This confirms my signature below

NightShade03

I would think that a small business owner isn't going to have huge requirements for their business (file server, print server) and if they are setup right they shouldn't require support. I know alot of small businesses that run without support of any kinda even on microsoft products.

dynamik

NightShade03 wrote: »

I would think that a small business owner isn't going to have huge requirements for their business (file server, print server) and if they are setup right they shouldn't require support. I know alot of small businesses that run without support of any kinda even on microsoft products.

Because they've probably used MS products on a daily basis for a decade. Linux is simply not ready for the everyday user, and even if they don't go out and purchase support, they're going to lose countless hours in productivity trying to get basic things to work.

Linux is awesome for a lot things, and I use it regularly, but it is not on par with Windows or Mac OSX for regular desktop use.

This is true for even semi-advanced users. I had a customer about a year ago come in and complain that he couldn't get his Ubuntu machine working with his wireless. He ran a lot of commands and showed me configs that I really wasn't familiar with. After like a half hour of that, I simply pointed to the wireless icon in the GUI and asked if he'd try to connect using that since it had always worked for me. He hadn't

eMeS

NightShade03 wrote: »

I would think that a small business owner isn't going to have huge requirements for their business (file server, print server)...

That all depends on the business....

Personally I think this is too complex for most small businesses. It kind of sounds like a solution in search of a problem. Usually in small business your focus is on closing the next sale, for whatever it is that you're selling.


MS

RobertKaucher

We are a relatively small/medium business (depending on who you ask) and we use Ubuntu and CentOS for a couple different things. None of them are critical (OpenFire, Nagios, stuff like that). I think the real issue is the cost of administration.

I can train a competent small business staff on using/administering Small Business Server 2003/2008 basics (adding users, file shares, etc) but teaching them the basics of setting up users or SMB shares in Linux or how to administer LDAP would kill them.

You have to consider TCO and administration is a factor in that. There is nothing inherently wrong with Linux servers but the fact remains that the administrative cost is still much higher than Windows based systems. And by that I am not just talking money. There is the frustration factor as well.

phoeneous

Why is it that everytime I ask a user to log out of Windows they shutdown their computer?

If rolled out Linux at my work I think everyone would implode from spontaneous confusion.

NightShade03

phoeneous wrote: »

Why is it that everytime I ask a user to log out of Windows they shutdown their computer?

If rolled out Linux at my work I think everyone would implode from spontaneous confusion.

Haha the funny part is I have the exact same problem here with logging off which is pretty funny.