Johannesburg, 17 Aug 2004
Early in the history of the computer, the availability of source code was taken for granted. Then from the late 1970s to the present, a multibillion-dollar industry was created from selling software which had no source code available. But open source is back, driven largely by the software and services that make up the Internet - and the speed of collaboration and efficiency of the development model that the global network enables.
Open source advocates say that when developers can read, redistribute and modify the source code for a piece of software, the software improves and evolves at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional software development, seems astonishing. And technology vendors are finding that the open source model is proving advantageous for both their own and their customers` businesses.
Javier Hermida, product manager at local Sun Microsystems iForce partner African Legend Indigo, points out that Sun has brought powerful new products to market thanks to the freedom of open source software licensing as well as its own considerable investment in high-profile open source projects.
"Sun has invested millions of dollars in programmer time and resources to help improve popular desktop open source projects like Star Office and the Gnome environment," he says. "It also provides an enterprise approach to server-based Linux solutions where the client needs an experienced vendor to support their investment in the Linux operating system."
Hermida says that on the desktop, Sun`s investment in open source is already paying big dividends. "The Java Desktop System is a fully integrated client environment for the corporate desktop. Sun`s technical innovation combined with best-of-breed open source projects gives customers a secure computing environment, complete with development and administration tools, for a very competitive price."
The JDS`s components are based on open source and standards and include the GNOME desktop environment, StarOffice productivity suite, Mozilla browser, Evolution mail and calendar client, and Java 2 Platform Standard Edition. Java Desktop System is the only desktop solution which includes without additional cost server-side administration tools which enable centralised configuration, deployment, and administration of the user desktop environment. In addition, Java Desktop System includes advanced developer tools to assist developers in creating Java-technology based applications for the desktop.
"We had a great deal of interest in the open source alternative at the recent Futurex exhibition," comments Hermida. "Customers are very interested in securing their desktop fleets from malicious code and being able to manage them at reasonable cost."
He says there are erroneous perceptions of the costs of migrating to Sun`s open source desktop solution. "Changing the desktop does have an impact on the user without impacting the business directly. Of course it requires planning, training and proper project management but Sun has already successfully implemented some very large JDS installations worldwide. Changing the server can impact the business directly."
Hermida says that on the server side, Sun brings a comprehensive systems approach to Linux. "Sun provides Java technology, x86-based hardware, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server along with Sun`s Java Enterprise System - and all supported by Sun services. The result - everything you need - developed, integrated and tested by the world`s leading supplier of network computing systems."
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