SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10
Lower Your IT Costs
SUSE® Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is the compelling alternative to Microsoft Windows 7 and is available for just US$50. Pricing for Microsoft Windows 7 is not only more complex, but it's also considerably higher, as shown here.
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 | Microsoft Windows 7 Business | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate | |
| License / Subscription Fee | US$50 | US$299 | US$319 |
| Maintenance (per year) |
Included in subscription fee | US$87 (29% of license) |
US$93 (29% of license) |
| Total (one year) | US$50 | US$386 | US$412 |
| Total (three years) | US$125 | US$559 | US$598 |
Source: Microsoft and Novell, May 2008 1
When you consider the additional costs of an office suite, the difference becomes even more dramatic. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop includes LibreOffice at no additional cost. LibreOffice is an office productivity suite that comes with word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, and database applications—all for free. It boasts outstanding compatibility with Microsoft Office files, allowing users to easily read and edit Microsoft Office documents and save them in either Microsoft Office or open standard formats.
The cost of Microsoft Office makes it even more difficult to justify buying Windows 7. Microsoft Office Professional costs $299 per user. The combined license costs for Windows 7 Professional Edition and Microsoft Office Professional 2010 approaches $800 per user. With SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, you receive the functionality of Microsoft for a fraction of the price ($50 for one year, $125 for three years).
However, buying Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010 along with maintenance, may not be the end of your costs. You may have to buy new hardware to run Windows 7 due to the increased system requirements.
Finally, you should consider the cost of managing Vista environments with Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003. With a mere 25 desktops, the management software cost reaches $6,055:
- $3,999 for a Windows Server 2003 license to manage 25 Vista desktops (Windows Server + 25 Client Access Licenses) 4
- $2,056 for a SMS 2003 license to manage 25 Vista desktops (SMS + 25 Client Management Licenses) 4
Conversely, ZENworks® Linux Management–offering comparable functionality–costs only $69 per user, or $1,725 for 25 users. That's a 70% savings from the comparable Windows solution. 5
When you add it all up—Windows and Office licenses, software maintenance, and possibly new hardware—the total cost of owning Windows 7 becomes a crushing burden on organizations seeking to do more with their limited IT budgets. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop from Novell is the compelling desktop alternative, offering a lower cost platform with greater security, usability, and flexibility.
Notes:
1 http://www.novell.com/products/desktop/howtobuy.html,
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/editions/business.mspx,
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/editions/ultimate.mspx,
http://www.itjungle.com/two/two071107-story01.html
2 http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/FX101754511033.aspx
3 http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2068351,00.asp
4 http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/howtobuy/licensing/pricing.mspx and http://www.microsoft.com/smserver/howtobuy/default.mspx
5 http://www.novell.com/products/zenworks/linuxmanagement/howtobuy.html
Take a Closer Look
- Use the Reviewers Guide to guide your exploration of all the features of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in greater detail.
- Want to see SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in action? Check out the product presentation and demos.
