Discussion on:

Making a case for open source in your enterprise

The downloadable version of this article is available here:
http://techrepublic.com.com/5138-7343-6058517.html

Have you tried to sell the adoption of open source software to your boss and/or enterprise? How did it go? Are you using open source software now? Is the selling of open sourcing still a difficult proposition or has it gained more general acceptance, at least in your experience?

Rolled out 1 triplet of LAMP servers as an MIS/Production analysis platform. Three years later they have about twenty. Now all similar systems are LAMP, it's the standard. It was sold easily, we can have all this for the cost of the hardware and a few books. They already had the talent in house.

Note these are intranet only headless servers and are not in production critical situations. The strangest thing about it was that, technologically they are extremely conservative. I was writing the front ends in VB6 on Win 95, and the data collection software in Fortran 78 on VMS boxes. These boys are still sourcing reconditioned DEC Alpha's to replace their now aging MicroVax systems.
LOL
All you need is one management champion who's more interested in covering his business's ass than his own.