Where to buy Software for small business

[DarkTXKnight]

Does anyone here have a favorite place to buy volume licenses for such things as Symantec Antivurus Corporate or MS office 2003?? I am trying to do some shopping for a friend's business to make sure he is legal. At my job we use softwarehouse international, but I wanted to see who else is out there.

Thanks,

 

[edmicman]

cdw.com has always treated us well.

 

[DarkTXKnight]

Yeah Im looking at calling CDW for a quote now, but Id also like someone to compare against.

 

[Zepper]

Provantage.com or chumbo.com might be other choices. Really, small businesses should be carefully looking at linux solutions too.
.bh.

 

[alm4rr]

this is not a nonprofit, correct?

 

[DarkTXKnight]

correct, this is a for-profit company.... and yes this windows guy here is also looking at linux solutions, but these folks are willing to pay for windows software that they are familiar with more than getting super cheap\free linux stuff to retrain on.

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: DarkTXKnight
correct, this is a for-profit company.... and yes this windows guy here is also looking at linux solutions, but these folks are willing to pay for windows software that they are familiar with more than getting super cheap\free linux stuff to retrain on.

My advice would be to assess exactly what needs to be done on each computer. For instance - if say they had a receptionist that only needed to type memo's, answer the phone, and keep logs of some sort - you'd be wise to replace that station with a linux box. A box running SuSe 9.1/9.2 - for those purposes only will require little retraining.

Now if you've got a project team that are all into Office software, collaboration, Project, etc - then yea you need to stick with familiar software.


Provantage has always treated me like GOLD btw.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: episodic
My advice would be to assess exactly what needs to be done on each computer. For instance - if say they had a receptionist that only needed to type memo's, answer the phone, and keep logs of some sort - you'd be wise to replace that station with a linux box. A box running SuSe 9.1/9.2 - for those purposes only will require little retraining.

Little retraining for the receptionist. But plenty of retraining for the i/t guy that has to make sure it's secure and may very well want to integrate that box into the domain.

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: kamper

Originally posted by: episodic
My advice would be to assess exactly what needs to be done on each computer. For instance - if say they had a receptionist that only needed to type memo's, answer the phone, and keep logs of some sort - you'd be wise to replace that station with a linux box. A box running SuSe 9.1/9.2 - for those purposes only will require little retraining.

Little retraining for the receptionist. But plenty of retraining for the i/t guy that has to make sure it's secure and may very well want to integrate that box into the domain.

If your 'computer guy' has a hard time figuring out how to secure a single linux box (notice I did not say server) - then perhaps you need a new computer guy?

I mean seriously - use google

 

[John]

Microsoft Action Pack Subscription

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: episodic

Originally posted by: kamper

Originally posted by: episodic
My advice would be to assess exactly what needs to be done on each computer. For instance - if say they had a receptionist that only needed to type memo's, answer the phone, and keep logs of some sort - you'd be wise to replace that station with a linux box. A box running SuSe 9.1/9.2 - for those purposes only will require little retraining.

Little retraining for the receptionist. But plenty of retraining for the i/t guy that has to make sure it's secure and may very well want to integrate that box into the domain.

If your 'computer guy' has a hard time figuring out how to secure a single linux box (notice I did not say server) - then perhaps you need a new computer guy?

I mean seriously - use google

Not every i/t guy is a geek that tries out linux at home. Maybe he/she only went to a community college and got some sort of Microsoft certification and doesn't know much else (not saying there's anything wrong with that). Then maybe you do have to replace him/her. But that's more trouble than using windows by a long shot.

I agree with you that linux makes alot of sense on a simple machine like that. But you'll want password integration with the rest of your network. You'll want filesharing and filebackup and email/calendar integration with the rest of the network and that must be secured as well. If it's a small company there's a good chance the receptionist is also a bookkeeper and you'll need to be quite sure about the security of the financial records. If you're building a network from the ground up and you already have someone who is competent enough to add linux then, by all means, it's a great solution. But from a business perspective that is simply not going to happen too often. Managers don't give a rip about the theoretical benefits of linux.

 

[drag]

If they don't want linux, they don't want linux. Geez. What is the guy going to do?
"Ya I know you want me to setup your computers to work the same way they were before, but better. But you know, some guys told me you should have me to install linux. Does that sound like a good idea to you?"

Just find him a cheap place to get liscences if you want to be helpfull.

Linux desktop doesn't realy require much training at all to use, but the setup and install can be a b!tch sometimes, although the maintance costs are usually much less then they are with Windows.

But Windows is Windows, and you just have to sometimes use what your familar with especially if your doing it for somebody else.

 

[cpars]

Originally posted by: John
Microsoft Action Pack Subscription

I 2nd that

 

[resident37214]

Hello, I apologize for the delay, I expected my computer to come sometime this week but it has not. Do you care if I keep the products until monday? If that is a problem I will send the products today for you.

 

[DarkTXKnight]

Ok I finally looked back at my old post here and you guys have all been helpful. FYI i will not only be installing this office, but also supporting it, and although I am open to the idea of Linux , I am not nearly as well versed in it as I am in windows networking, and this is a group that has suffered from such bad IT support in the past that I am coming in to stabalize the situation before trying to promote something new and completely foreign to all of them,. Linux is not an easy switch by any means nor is it always cheaper. The cost savings of getting the software can be easily eaten by the cost of retraining the users -all of whom came from M$ dominated infratructures. I will license them on their current environment to get them something reasonable to work with and then will introduce comparable Linux projects as time goes by (mail and web services etc.) To me that's the best compromise .

Thanks for all the input though!!!