Business Impacts of Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a free, complete desktop Linux operating system. It included more than 1,000 pieces of software, such as Linux kernel and Gnome. It also covers every standard desktop application from word processing, spreadsheet applications, internet access apps, web server software, email software, programming language and tools.

In answering the question, whether or not my company should virtualize their workstations through the use of Ubuntu, there are two key aspects to examine before a decision can be made.

First, what is the learning curve associated with Ubuntu. It seems fairly easy to install and to learn but when we break down the time spent installing and teaching all of the employees how to operate it effectively we are looking at some wasted hours that could have been spent processing orders, taking new sales, or meeting clients.  Along with this information we need to look at how useful a program like this would be to our company. Since we are so small (only four full-time employees) and all employees already work on a seamless and problem free system would Ubuntu be worth while? To that  I say no.  The fashion company uses a Windows based platform to do it's business. We use Microsoft Word, Excel, Gmail, Dropbox and Google Drive without any issues. Each of our employees already knows how to operate all of the above applications without any issues and we never have any problems sharing documents or photos on Google Drive or Dropbox.  Since working from home is not an option for us (if the weather is bad then our warehouse is closed because the trucks will not pickup or drop off any goods) Ubuntu doesn't seem to have any benefit for my company.  So we would be spending time and money in setting up this new software that we don't really have a need for I say save the money and keep using our current system.

Since we've already established that this would not be a useful tool for my company it may not be necessary to even touch upon this aspect but I feel like it should be mentioned none the less. Ubuntu states on their website that they a secure platform. "You can surf in safety with Ubuntu - confident that your files and data will stay protected - thanks to the built-in firewall and virus protection. And if potential vulnerability appears, we provide automatic updates, which you can install in a single click" (http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop).  Even with this built-in protection what can stop a hacker from getting into classified databases or accessing secure files? There are many sophisticated ways to hack systems and computers these days. My company, like most, have secure financial data on their systems and they wouldn't want that exposed to the outside world.

Overall, I am not quite sold on the idea of Ubuntu (maybe because I am not one to trust technology I do not know). I think the security risk is still too high but more than anything I feel like it would not be useful to my company. I think instead of transitioning to Ubuntu we could save ourselves time and money and keep using our current applications/processes that haven't failed us.