[vox-outreach] Speaker possibility as GTC

[Michael Wenk]

On Monday 26 April 2004 03:04 pm, Trevor Lango wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Bill Kendrick [mailto:nbs@sonic.net]
> > Sent: Monday, April 26, 2004 2:30 PM
> > To: LUGOD Outreach
> > Subject: [vox-outreach] Speaker possibility as GTC
> >
> >
> >
> > GTC has a set of presentation topics they'd like exhibitors
> > to present on. (I believe the deadline to suggest one's own
> > topic has passed a few months
> > ago.)
> >
> > One of them is:
> >
> >   "The Business Case For and Against Open Source for Your Agency"
> >
> >
> > Which sounds perfect for LUGOD!
> >
> > Anyone interested in doing such a talk?  If so, let us know
> > ASAP so we can tell the GTC coordinators!
>
> I am willing, but just to be perfectly clear, this really isn't like our
> usual: "Linux is cool! You should use it!" ... now is it?  I imagine they
> are expecting something brewed up for the IT Administrator; a presentation
> that compares Open Source and Microsft on all levels (kind of like all
> those recent biased Microsoft-sponsored surveys regarding Microsoft vs.
> Linux deployment in enterprise environments?):
>
> - costs (purchasing, maintaining, training, etc.)
> - licensing/ability to customize
> - ease of implementation/installation/setup
> - IT support staff training/ability to maintain
> - user training/ease of use
> - any other suggestions...? :)
>
> And just another note: the title states for AND against Open Source... so
> to deliver a fair and equitable presentation, I would have to utter
> blaspehous words, words against (gasp!) open source...? ;-)
>
> I am willing to commit to this in the absence of a more qualified speaker
> and upon confirmation of date and time.

Sounds like the best way to do this one would be a full cost analysis of open 
source software vs traditional.  Also, you don't necessarily have to down 
either open source or traditional in such a beast.  Just be ready to show a 
good business case and be able to defend against the other.  

Also, you have to realize(and you seem to) that a presentation on the 
technical benefits of open source is probably not going to fly well.  And I 
would tailor this more towards the IT decision maker(department director) 
than IT admin.  And I would highly suggest making something that shows 
how(across the board) linux and OSS saves money on the budget.  Don't forget 
training and productivity costs or you're asking to be crucified in a Q&A.  

Mike
 
-- 
wenk@praxis.homedns.org
Mike Wenk