Telstra switch to Linux

Further to recent remarks about Linux on the desktop, news today that Telstra, Australia's largest technology company, aims to switch 85% of its desktops to Linux + thin clients.

'Telstra chief information officer Jeff Smith said he was determined to end a history of internal duplication and technology incompatibility by deploying open-source software right across the telecoms giant, which spends $1.5 billion each year on information technology. He aims to slice this cost in half within three years. "I would see a big movement from Windows and Unix to Linux," Mr Smith said... On desktop trial are Sun's Star Office on Linux, native Linux applications such as the Gnome graphical user interface, and the Mozilla browser. Telstra is also testing a Wyse thin-client terminal with XP-on-a-chip using Citrix. Mr Smith said the savings could be huge, with a total cost of ownership reduction of about 40 per cent.'