Re: [TCLUG:361] Re: Fwd: [TCLUG:352] Promoting Linux to businesses

[Anthony Beltran <beltran@skypoint.com>]

My point is that the SPECIFIC apps my brother needs to use
are not available under Linux.  He uses very large apps specific
to the legal profession.  When I made the same suggestion you
did, check out the Linux community to see what business apps
were available, he did just that.  The result was that he found
none of the SPECIFIC apps he needed for his law practice.  When
he contacted each of the vendors of his apps, none of them had
plans for porting to Linux.  If he can't run his West Law Library
and other VERY SPECIFIC apps under Linux, the whole Linux story
quickly becomes moot for him.  I have gone over this same
territory with other people in other businesses.  Generically
saying that business apps are available under Linux may be fine
for a business that is in the process of selecting their software
and does not have specific niche market needs, but for a business
that has either has adopted specific apps and built their business
practices around them or has specific niche market needs not met
by apps in the Linux arena, Linux is not the solution except maybe
as a server for their network.

If we try to convince business people otherwise, I think we lose
credibility because we sound like Linux fanatics who are unaware
of these people's day-to-day realities and worse, like people who 
only see Linux and not the apps.  When I realized this, I backed
off quickly.

Tony


On Tue, 9 Jun 1998, Tim Burke wrote:

> 
> -----Original Message-----
> [snip]
> There are real business applications available. We have business solutions
> that run on Linux, from AR to Inventory Control and Bill of Materials...
> And are putting the final touches on our professional billings module.
> 
> >I would love to see Linux as the solution to my brother's
> >probelms
> 
> Have him look us up at http://www.donnalgroup.com
> 
>[snip] 
> Tim Burke   mailto:timburke@donnalgroup.com
> Donnal Group Inc.  URL http://www.donnalgroup.com
> Phone 612-474-7785
> Fax 612-474-7793
>