BGH opts for Linux and thin clients

By RICHARD WOOD

Mt Maunganui-based BGH Group has avoided paying for operating system and office productivity software in its move from "dumb terminals" to a "thin client" PC network.

IT manager Craig Pope has taken the organisation down the open source software path by choosing the free Linux operating system over Microsoft Windows and the free Open Office productivity package over Microsoft Office.

The network also uses cut-down PCs linked into the server through a Linux thin client system called Firefly-X developed by Auckland open source firm and Gen-i subsidiary Asterisk.

This allows BGH's software to run on the server while appearing to be running at the client PC.

BGH Group provides IT and management for the nationwide offices of Bay Engineers Supplies, General Machinery Company, and Hose Supplies NZ.

These run as separate businesses but all the IT comes off the same Sun Solaris server based at head office.

Pope said the firm had bought 67 Linux PCs and spent an extra $250 a unit to get flat screens.

These systems replaced Wyse terminals. The firm had 102 users and existing Windows desktop PCs would be replaced by Linux PCs over time.

Pope also said he was exploring Linux as an option on the firm's notebook computers.

Other open source software that has been installed at BGH includes Evolution for email and Mozilla as a web browser.

Pope said he was not concerned about his users not having the latest features in the soon-to-be-launched Microsoft Office 2003.

"I feel that 90 per cent of people would use 10 per cent of the functionality of any Office package," he said.