Gartner provides a cautionary assessment on Linux desktops. The bottomline:
Enterprises should take a realistic look at desktop Linux to separate the myths from the reality.
Enterprises should evaluate all software in their stacks and consider how running alternatives on Windows and Linux may change their costs.
Although extending hardware life and moving to a Linux operating system may result in some savings, such action will probably not eliminate all of the costs that the enterprise expects.
When considering labor costs, Gartner believes that locking down and managing the desktop will result in bigger savings than simply switching operating systems.
Enterprises must consider the technical, political and cultural issues to understand how they will be successful with those disciplines under Linux if they failed under Windows.
Linux+T
