If you need to be convinced about whether your school or business should switch to Open Source Software, take a look at this Italian news clip on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2kM6bTh_XY

This article explains how Linux is making serious noises in the music business

http://www.keyboardmag.com/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=17973

Open Source is not just about free software, it is a methodology of peer reviewing and not re-inventing the wheel. Open means you can freely use, modify and sell the software if you want (you must provide the source if requested). This means people can learn, improve and benefit from your work. Most people will just use the software, which is generally free to download and pay for support options. By using the software and reporting problems, the code improves and quickly becomes stable and secure. The best example of Open Source Software is the Linux kernel and drivers which provide a very stable base for application to run on it. Linux and OSS application software surpass propriety software features and it is free! No wonder Microsoft spend millions advertising where people are looking for Linux information. Try Firefox for your browser, Thunderbird for your email and OpenOffice.org for your office suite (they run on Windows as well as Linux). They are quality software and by using them you will lessen the stranglehold Microsoft has on the PC industry and promote competition, innovation and open standards.

Not only do the two reports say Linux is cheaper, it also looks at the other benefits and one is staff prefer using Linux and helps retain them!

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=25847

http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=170102340

Open Source Software provides the freedom to choose exactly what service you want to pay for. The traditional all-in-one package doesn't suit all business or may be too expensive if you only want a small part of the bundle.

The Software package can be broken into separate parts :-

Code
Install
Documentation
Defect (bug) Resolution
Education
Warranty
Indemnity
Support

You pay for the parts you want or have no experience of.

Attended Red Hat's RH300 fast track 5 day course (27th June, 2005) and successfully passed the RHCE exam. The peformance based practical exam is split in to a trouble shooting part and a configuration part. It really proves you can administer Linux systems and is regarded as the best IT certification available.

John Cooper M.Sc. SCSA RHCE

More info : https://www.redhat.com/training/rhce/courses/

When you discover how powerful this operating system is combined with the open source applications, you'll develop a passion for it too! The possibilities are endless. Unlike some other popular operating systems, Linux is a professional, secure and robust system that improves everyday. You can download a truely free system like Fedora or pay for supported versions like Red Hat and SuSE. Instead of having to buy an operating system, then buy virus checkers,document editors etc, Linux comes with it all.

The cost saving can be huge, so why wait and keep paying those restrictive license fees?