A Year in review for corporate software

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 12/20/2004 8:25 AM  |  Life

Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, vmahmud@yahoo.com

What a difference a year makes. At the end of 2003, many corporations were faltering in the drive to utilize the open source Linux software. The SCO Group had launched a civil lawsuit against IBM on alleged intellectual property violations. It also threatened to sue any company that used Linux due to its claims that portions of its proprietary source code was illegally integrated into the free operating system.

As the year progressed, many Chief Information Officers ignored the legal pressure tactics and began to seriously consider Linux due to its security and low-cost ownership.

The SCO Group's case is in its closing stages, with a lack of courtroom victories against its opponents. This costly affair has seen some of its backers slowly withdraw.

This year has also seen strides toward software alternatives. Firefox, the Internet browser based on Mozilla, formerly known as Netscape, finally reached version 1.0 after years of public testing by computer enthusiasts. It provided many innovative new features such as tabbed browsing, pop-up blocking, built-in download managers, enhanced security and an integrated web search window.

In contrast, Microsoft's notorious Internet Explorer (IE) continued to be vulnerable to attacks from various criminal elements. Spyware, worms and viruses are still widespread. It's gotten to a point where a U.S. government agency and Penn State University actually recommended its users to cease using it.

As its competitors were slowly eliminated, which some claim was through questionable means, innovation appeared to be no longer a priority as Microsoft had a virtual monopoly of Internet browsers worldwide. During the peak of the Netscape-IE wars in the late 90's, new features were coming out practically every week. Interesting what a lack of competition can do.

Speaking of competition, Openoffice.org will soon release version 2.0 of its free productivity suite, matching more of the features from the defacto leader of corporate word processing software, Microsoft Office. Sun Microsystems has also scored a major coup, with a British city council recently announcing US$2.5 million in savings over 5 years in the move to Sun's Star Office productivity suite.

It seems that 2004 was also the year of Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs). Many major software companies are now focusing their attention to this promising sector of the economy.

Computer Associates, Oracle and Cisco Systems are just a few companies that offer its enterprise level software at affordable prices. For example, Oracle now offers its Database Standard Edition with the same performance and security of its corporate level product within reach of the many SMBs.

As features increase and costs go down, some companies actually choose to go in reverse. Microsoft is planning to launch a localized version of its Windows XP operating system in Indonesia next year. Designed for new users, it has limited feature and function sets compared to XP Home or Professional. For example, no more than three applications can run concurrently, there is a lack of home networking and a limit on video resolution and memory capacity.

Although this operating system is not for sale separately, those wanting to buy new computers with this new Starter Edition should carefully consider if their needs can be met or are limited by this software. Especially since the cost of the OS is inclusive with the price of the computer.

Apple's iPod MP3 music player and iTunes Music Store has brought its Macintosh computer product line back into the limelight. Usually dismissed as an also-ran, the new iMac and Powerbook computers have proven to be popular with families and businessmen respectively. Relatively immune from the various viruses and worms that strike Windows PCs, the Mac uses a UNIX-based operating system that just works. And with its inclusive multimedia software, the Mac is slowly becoming a fan favorite.

Next year will be an exciting year. New products and alternatives will be introduced, offering new ways of doing business. Companies hoping to refurbish or refresh their IT infrastructure should always remember to shop around and ensure that it blends well with their current business processes.

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