The city administration of Munich switched to Linux, migrated all data and users, trained them etc. for millions of Euros, and then eventually switched back some years later since staff productivity was way down, and users didn’t feel comfortable in the OS environment.
You can’t enforce a change. Linux is great, especially so for tech enthusiasts, but the average (or probably below average) user might have a hard time to adjust.
And when performance is measured in workforce efficiency, then you have to accept that it’s simply not suited for every environment.
The problem with that is a few years is a bit short to get real benefits out of it. And the Wikipedia article contradicts the statement that productivity went down. Actually issues and errors went down. And they saved tens of millions of Euros. And then they cancelled it. That decision wasn’t backed by technical or factual reasons at all.
Sounds like very poor management since everytime a business company switches system infrastructure, the end-users will receive courses. I was working in a factory which changed the automation system and every end-user spent 4+4 hrs in the lecture room and after 1 month of use they had again 4 hrs advanced use cases lecture.
After just 6 months every worker said the new system is easier and better, which first seemed to be impossible transfer.
From my experience as an executive I recon they haven‘t factored in the side effects like vendor lock-in, customizability and application speed of changes. Those are pretty hefty sums over years/decades.
Companies like MS love to lobby a company or institution for a flip sale, lots of revenue in services. just have to bribe/schmooze the right people.
That’s how Siemens was doing business before their giant lawsuit.
The city administration of Munich switched to Linux, migrated all data and users, trained them etc. for millions of Euros, and then eventually switched back some years later since staff productivity was way down, and users didn’t feel comfortable in the OS environment.
You can’t enforce a change. Linux is great, especially so for tech enthusiasts, but the average (or probably below average) user might have a hard time to adjust.
And when performance is measured in workforce efficiency, then you have to accept that it’s simply not suited for every environment.
When you don’t know something, it’s completely ok to not say anything.
The problem with that is a few years is a bit short to get real benefits out of it. And the Wikipedia article contradicts the statement that productivity went down. Actually issues and errors went down. And they saved tens of millions of Euros. And then they cancelled it. That decision wasn’t backed by technical or factual reasons at all.
Sounds like very poor management since everytime a business company switches system infrastructure, the end-users will receive courses. I was working in a factory which changed the automation system and every end-user spent 4+4 hrs in the lecture room and after 1 month of use they had again 4 hrs advanced use cases lecture.
After just 6 months every worker said the new system is easier and better, which first seemed to be impossible transfer.
I agree. And for most end users they are just clicking buttons or accessing web based applications where the OS doesn’t play into “needing to switch”
Interesting!
From my experience as an executive I recon they haven‘t factored in the side effects like vendor lock-in, customizability and application speed of changes. Those are pretty hefty sums over years/decades.
They actually flip flop a lot.
2006: Migration to LiMux begins
2008: 1200 out of 14,000 have migrated to the LiMux environment
2013: Over 15,000 LiMux PC-workstations (of about 18,000 workstations)
2016: Microsoft moves german HQ to Münich
2017: Dumping Linux https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/munich-city-government-to-dump-linux-desktop-84307.html
2020: Going back to Linux https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-not-windows-why-munich-is-shifting-back-from-microsoft-to-open-source-again/
2023: Analysing what needs to be done to switch to Win10 before new vote https://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/ditching-linux-for-windows-after-wannacry-is-too-risky-for-munich-green-party-warns/
Didn’t the major changed from left to right in 2016 or 2017?
Companies like MS love to lobby a company or institution for a flip sale, lots of revenue in services. just have to bribe/schmooze the right people. That’s how Siemens was doing business before their giant lawsuit.
How did they measure productivity of a city administration? !?
Hehe, you think the words ‘administration’ and ‘productivity’ can be used in the same sentence?
The switch back to Windows was not because of vad productivity. They switched back when the new Major got a visit from the microsoft CEO.
https://www.heise.de/news/Endgueltiges-Aus-fuer-LiMux-Muenchener-Stadtrat-setzt-den-Pinguin-vor-die-Tuer-3900439.html
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/muenchen-microsoft-linux-verwaltung-1.5562006?reduced=true