Linux in the Boardroom: How Linux is Changing Corporate Computing and What Executives Need to Know and Do About it

Who needs a book about a freely down-loadable computer operating system? If you manage a company or if you’re a part of an Information Technology (IT) decision-making team, then you need to understand the impact of Linux on your organization, your industry, and your competition. If you’re like most executives, you’re part of a technology purchasing committee. Making computer technology decisions has never been easy. You have to slog through the marketing hype and computer jargon to separate the sales-copy promises from the software reality. In this quick-reading book, business author and engineer Mark S. A. Smith de-mystifies the lingo and discusses what you need to know about Linux to make informed business decisions. With the ideas in this book, you'll know what questions to ask and what issues to examine when your IT director considers Linux for your company. If you’re a CEO, COO, President, or Owner – How is Linux good for your opera-tion? What does it mean to your operation and your customers? If it’s going to give you an edge in the market, exactly how is that going to happen? How do you direct the people who will lead the project? If you’re a CFO or VP of Finance – Is Linux good for corporate compliance and your cash flow? Where does it fit into current regu-lations? If you’re a CIO, CTO, or IT Manager – Is Linux good for your computing infrastructure? How do you evaluate Linux? What should you look for in a Linux vendor? What about security? This book was written with the non-technical manager in mind; it won’t dig very deep into the technology. So, even if you’re an executive with limited technical background, this book will guide you on the questions to ask and the issues to examine when your technology team considers Linux for your company.