To Adopt Open Office on Linux or Windows: Analysing the Better Option
Microsoft Office on Windows operating system is the most popular office productivity tool on personal computers. However, it is not the only option available in the current Open Source environment. Linux is fast becoming a fierce competitor to Windows and Open Office is turning into a viable alternative to Microsoft Office. This article examines the strategy to adopt Open Office wither on Linux or Windows operating systems, covering the analysis and migration phase in great detail.
Introduction
Nothing can beat what is free! The Linux open source operating system (OS) sports far more features as compared to Windows. So the growth of Linux in the server market comes as no surprise. Further, Linux as a GUI operating system is slowly, but steadily, gaining credence in the desktop operating system space, thus replacing Windows.
The day is not far off when enterprises and individuals will embrace Linux as the standard desktop operating system. I am not sounding the end of a Microsoft era, but surely it would be the end of Microsoft supremacy in the desktop are closely for further segmentation.
If the users are not using MS Office extensively, they must be using the personal computer for completing some business activities. For completing these business activities, some business software must be installed on their machines. This business software could be a VB client application code or Oracle Forms or some other third party software. All these business clients can be put into one basket and further classified as a thick (Fat) client.
User segmentation is done based on the level of usage of MS Office and also on the following criteria:
· Level of MS Office usage
· Level of usage of advanced features
· Send/receive documents outside the organization
· Using third party software, thick client (SAP client, Siebel client, Oracle Forms, and so on)
· Light users: Users who use MS Office rarely. No thick client is installed on the machine; the web browser can be used instead of a thick client.
· Light users with thick client: Users who use MS Office occasionally and use only the basic features of MS Office. But third-party software (thick client) is installed and the corresponding application is not web enabled. These users can be further classified into HR staff, Admin staff, Call center staff, and so on.
· Heavy Users: Users who use MS Office frequently and extensively.
Once the user segmentation is done, the next step is to define the proposed environment for each user segment.
Decide Target User Environment
You can choose one or more of the options, based on the technical feasibility. Once the technical feasibility is established, the following points need to be considered before finalising one of the options:
· Environment maintainability: Homogeneous environment is easier to maintain and the problems are less complex. Easy to train the maintenance staff and user groups.
· Staff training costs: Training costs for the maintenance staff user groups are to be taken into consideration before deciding on Option-I, II, and III.
· Software change over cost: If the thick client is migrated to a thin client or put on an emulator the migration cost is to be taken into consideration.
Option-I
If you decide to migrate from a Windows OS to Linux and MS Office to Open Office (Option-I), following will be the environment for different users:
· Heavy users continue to use Windows and MS Office
· Open Office will replace MS Office for light users
· Light users with thick client are to be migrated to two different environments depending upon application compatibility with browser and Linux.
· All web-based applications run under Mozilla / Firefox.
· Applications that do not run in a browser will:
A. Either run under Windows emulator on Linux.
B. Or the thick client will be recompiled to run on Linux
In case of Option-I (thick client on Linux, Mozilla and Open Office), since the thick client in a Windows environment is replaced by either a Linux client, a Mozilla web browser or the Windows emulator, the working of these clients in a Linux environment should be tested, besides the Migration strategy and training of the users. Following are to be considered before deciding Option-I.
1. Compatibility checks
· All web-enabled applications should be checked for Mozilla browser compatibility
· All thick clients working under Windows emulator are to be checked for emulator compatibility
· All the Linux thick clients are to be checked in a Linux environment with suitable Database drivers
· If single sign-on (SSO) or similar authentication and authorization policies are in place, compatibility in Linux environment is to be checked
· Hardware compatibility should be ensured (for example some modems in laptops do not work in a Linux environment)
2. Data migration and user migration
· A data backup strategy should be developed for the user’s data, for users who are migrating to Linux and Open Office environment
· A sata migration strategy should be developed for migrating the existing user files and documents, e-mails and address book
3. Reluctant users: people have a tendency to resist the change
4. Training
· In using Linux and Open Office
· System Administrators for Linux system administration, installation and configuration
· Help Desk to resolve Linux and Open Office related problems
Option–I is Not Attractive in the Current Windows Pricing Model
· Currently the Windows OS is not separately charged. It comes along with the hardware (this is a general scenario; in some cases, the OS is customised and charged). So Option–I is not very attractive.
· System maintenance becomes very complicated and over all maintenance cost will be very high.
· The thick client software should be tested in a Linux environment / Windows emulator environment.
· Browser based applications should be tested for Mozilla compatibility.
Option-II (a Preferred Option)
· Windows Operating system is getting charged along with Hardware; as such there is no cost of ownership
· Currently, the only cost of ownership of Microsoft environment is MS Office
· A part of the license cost can be saved by adopting Open Office
· This saves testing cost and maintenance cost
Target Environment if Option-II is Chosen
1. Heavy users continue to use Windows and MS Office
2. All light users are migrated to Windows and Open Office environment
Decision Points in Option II
In case of Option-II (Open Office on Windows), since the thick client-operating environment is not changed, only the following points need to be considered:
1. Data migration and user migration
· Data backup strategy to be developed for the user’s data, for those users who are to be migrated to an Open Office environment
· Data migration strategy to be developed for migrating the existing user files and documents, emails and address book
2. Training
· Users in using Open Office
· System Administrators for Open Office administration, installation and configuration
· Helpdesk to resolve Open Office related problems
Option-III
If you’ve decided to migrate from Windows, MS Office to Linux and Open Office (Option –III) following will be the environment for users:
1. All the users will be using Open Office on Linux.
2. All the web based applications run under Mozilla / Firefox.
3. Applications that do not run on a browser will
4.
· Either run under a Windows emulator on Linux
· Or the thick client will be recompiled to run on Linux
Target Environment if Option-III is chosen
This environment will be the ideal target environment, since the total cost of ownership and maintenance cost are minimum. This would be possible when:
· The hardware vendors price the hardware based on the OS loaded
· The number of enterprises and individuals adopting Linux and Open Office reaches critical mass
· The documents interoperability issues are resolved
Decision Points in Option-III
In case of Option-III (thick client on Linux, Mozilla and Open Office), since the thick client in Windows environment is replaced by either a Linux client or the Mozilla web browser, the migration strategy and points to be considered are very much similar to what has been discussed in Option-I.
Which Option is Better
Well it depends on what the scenario is and how the OS and Office suite are priced. Currently, the cost of ownership of Windows is zero because it is charged along with the hardware. (But this is subject to change in the near future once hardware vendors start pricing the hardware differently based on the loaded OS.). MS Office is charged based on the number of licenses.
In the aforementioned pricing scenario, Option-II (Open Office on Windows) is better than Option-I (Open Office on Linux with an Emulator) or Option-III (Open Office on Linux with thick client).
Once hardware vendors start pricing the hardware based on the choice of preloaded OS there would be a cost of ownership associated with the choice of OS. Then Option –III or Option-I also becomes financially viable.
When to Migrate
Enterprises need to pay for the upgrade after a limited time. The upgrade is inevitable, because the older versions are no longer supported. Good business opportunity exists in migrating to Open Office and Linux at the time of OS upgrade or MS Office upgrade.
Cost Benefit Analysis
The cost of ownership can be put under two heads: time cost and recurring cost.
Total Cost of Ownership for Windows and MS Office
The total cost of ownership for a Windows environment can be calculated as:
Total cost of ownership in Windows = OS cost + Office suite cost + Maintenance Cost
Total cost of ownership for Linux and Open Office
The total cost of ownership for a Linux and Open Office environment can be calculated as:
Total cost of ownership in Linux = Maintenance Cost + Migration Cost
Since the OS cost and Open Office cost are insignificant, the following are the costs incurred in migrating from Windows and MS Office to Linux and Open Desktop:
. One time cost
· Migration cost
· Training cost
· Testing cost
· Tools cost: additional tools need to be developed or purchased to simplify the maintenance of a mixed environment. So the additional software cost for equivalent thick client on Linux should be taken into consideration.
All the thick clients that are running Windows environment should be tested in the new migrated environment in Linux.
2. Running cost
· Software maintenance cost: cost incurred in service agreement for Linux and Open Office
· Helpdesk cost: time and effort required to resolve the user problems in a production environment
In this scenario, a business case has to be developed and the return on investment (ROI) should be calculated.
Windows Equivalent Software in Linux
If there is no equivalent Linux client and the application is not web enabled, an alternative is to use a Windows emulator on Linux. There are many emulators available; some are free and some are commercially available.
Capability Comparison and Interoperability
The look and feel of the document changes to a certain extent when the document is made in MS Word, and viewed in OO Writer. For example:
· The shape of bulleted points change
· The line alignment shifts
· The font type and size remains same, but the look and feel changes
· Some of the embedded images fail to appear
When spreadsheets made in MS Excel are viewed on Open Office Calc:
· The look and feel of the document more or less remains the same
· The shape of bulleted points changes
· The result of formula calculation appears in the destination cell
· The formula that is used for calculation, which appears on the formula bar in MS Excel, is lost
· If macros are used, the calculation results may not appear
Open Office Impress is the equivalent of MS Power point presentation. The look and feel of the Power point presentation remains pretty much the same, except for the bulleted points and some images that may get distorted.
Evolution (Open Office Evolution Equivalent of MS Outlook)
· The look and feel of the Ximian Evolution GUI is pretty much similar to MS Outlook.
· All the normal activities that are performed in MS Outlook can be performed with equal ease in Ximian Evolution.
How to Resolve Interoperability Issues
Till Open Office and MS Office bring out a common interoperable format, make the document format platform neutral such as PDF, RTF or HTML.
Conclusion
Decision makers are considering Linux and Open Office as an alternative to Windows and MS Office to save on cost. Once the critical mass is reached in terms of the number of Open Office/Linux users, issues such as interoperability and equivalent software will get resolved by virtue of market forces. Once this stage is reached, Linux/Open Office will become an enterprise standard in the desktop space.
Venkata Mantha works for Wipro Technologies in Bangalore, India. |
