Vendor cooperation?

[gcarter at valinux.com]

rparker at VPR.net wrote:
> 
> Jerry,
> 
> Your book was a lifesaver for me 

Thanks.  I glad it helped.

> I am right now in the process of being 'bullied' 
> by Epicor into setting up an NT/W2K server in order 
> to upgrade a business application called Platinum. 
> Not to embroil you in a controversy, but I was
> wondering (as a really small company) what I can 
> do to help the 'perception' that Linux/Samba isn't 
> an appropriate platform to run business critical 
> applications? 

That depends on if you are locked into a 
vendor that doesn't support your platform.
If you're not locked in, then switch to a vendor 
that supports what you need.  

Samba is in a little bit of a different position
since if it just needs and NT file and print server,
we can pretty much figure it out (if things don't 
work).  The problem is that without a good estimate
of the number of Samba installs, it is hard to 
throw that weight around.  This is why I recommended
a grass roots effort.

> I also just wanted to sort of send this along as an 
> FYI. My vendor (Rick at d-b-s.com) is more than willing to 
> go the samba/linux route but he cautions me that 
> support from Epicor will be non-existent if we go that
> way, so it's not his issue) By way of explanation, 
> I got the following exchange forwarded to me from my him.

....

>> We have not looked into this platform at all. My last
>> discussions with development was that they would look at 
>> it only if there was enough demand but the thought 
>> was that accounting did not belong on a free form O\S.

This is a shame as I think other companies are 
willing to put finiancial data on Linux (I know of one 
in particular but cannot mention it).  I think Linux 
will continue to grow in the server market (which is what
these people should be looking at).

Overall, I thought Jean-Francois' comments werethe best.






Cheers, jerry
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   /\  Gerald (Jerry) Carter                     Professional Services
 \/    http://www.valinux.com  VA Linux Systems    gcarter at valinux.com
       http://www.samba.org       SAMBA Team           jerry at samba.org
       http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~cartegw

       "...a hundred billion castaways looking for a home."
                                - Sting "Message in a Bottle" ( 1979 )