[OPLINTECH] Open Office Software
Chad Neeper (list)
cneeper at level9networks.com
Wed Jan 23 10:39:11 EST 2008
Just to play devil's advocate here and throw a slightly skewed line of
though out there: We've been talking about the costs of MS Office and
the costs of training. I would think a cost/benefit analysis could be
tricky here. What about the fact that if you stick with MS Office, you
are forced to stick with Windows (or Mac) (unless WINE
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_%28software%29> has a workable
solution, I suppose). Staying current with the latest MS Office might
force you to stay current with the latest Windows, which might force you
to stay current with the latest hardware (to make running the latest MS
software bearable!) That's a significant amount of money in "one time"
(hardware and software) costs, as well as annual recurring software
costs (virus scan, Deep Freeze, etc.) The hardware, at least, might
otherwise have lasted a bit longer...in a Linux environment...running
open source software such as Open Office.
For the past several years I've been slowly introducing my libraries and
schools to the open source world. I've been at first adding cross
platform (runs on Windows and Linux) open source options such as Mozilla
Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird, Open Office, and others alongside
commercial software. These are applications that the users see and deal
with on a daily basis. Then I began replacing commercial applications
entirely with the open source counterparts. The next step will be to
replace the underlying desktop operating systems with Linux. The idea
being that the users (both staff and patrons) are still using familiar
applications, even while the operating system changes. Training costs
have been spread out over a number of years and often are no more
significant than the training involved in a commercial software's major
upgrade.
That's what the users see. On the back end...things the general staff
and patrons never see...I've been doing the same transitions. If there
is an open source alternative to commercial software, then that's the
preferred choice. So far, the results of this systematic approach to
introducing open source alternatives over a several year period has
worked out very well. Staff is happy, patrons are happy, software costs
have been notably reduced, and we're on the verge now of making a
hopefully comfortable transition into Linux at the desktops. In fact,
one of my library clients has taken the ball and run with it,
successfully introducing Linux on some select desktops, recycling
obsolete and otherwise useless hardware in the process.
I don't know if this approach is the best one, but it seems to be
working well. I can at least say that my clients have saved good deal of
money in the process, seem to be positioned well, and are moving
steadily towards becoming largely commercial software free.
Now bringing this back to MS Office vs. OOo... If you're concerned about
training costs and you're considering upgrading your MS Office to Office
2007, then give OOo a try. Training costs might be lower than you think.
The OOo interface is similar to the pre Office 2007 interfaces. Office
2007 is it's own unique beast. OOo is free to download after all. Check
it out.
In the end, though, the library needs to serve its community. If the
community needs/wants MS Office, then that's probably what the library
should provide.
Chad
(I hope I didn't ramble too much!!!)
-----------------------
Chad Neeper
Senior Systems Engineer
Level 9 Networks
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)
-- Full LAN/WAN consulting services --
-- Specialized in libraries and schools --
Ed Liddle wrote:
> What is the cost of retraining staff to use office 2007 vs OOo or heck
> even retraining staff to use vista vs linux vs mac instead of windows
> xp? How much time will be taken up from answering questions from
> patrons about using office 2007 vs using OOo ? That would be just as
> interesting for me to look at.
> Reference librarians get paid on an hourly basis to answer questions. It
> is after all part of their job. I am not sure what difference the
> questions make. Some questions are easy to answer, some are harder. I
> don't see where the cost spent on answering office application questions
> is any different than other questions.
>
> I tend to think that something as common as an office suite should not
> require much cost to train someone how to use it if they have used other
> office suites and are familiar with how to use a computer, access the
> internet etc. If you decide to use a different office suite do you
> enroll in training classes at a place like new horizons or a class at
> your local community college to learn how to use it?
> I personally just start using it, exploring where everything is in the
> menus and use the help menu or online help I find from using google to
> do what I need to get done.
>
> For library patrons who have never touched a computer or an office
> suite the "training" would be the same regardless which office suite
> they use. Personally I think it would be more beneficial to train a
> patron to use something that they could obtain for free to use at home
> on their PC rather than teach them how to use something they may not be
> able to afford for their PC at home, or may obtain illegally to use on
> their home computer.
>
> -Ed Liddle
>
> On Tue, 2008-01-22 at 20:30 -0500, Tom Mason wrote:
>
>> To further add a business slant, does someone have a cost justification
>> spreadsheet comparing the 5 year rotational cost of MS office versus the
>> support cost of OO? We change our customer's version of Office when they
>> demand it or every 4-5 years. At $60 AE cost per PC, that's $12-15 per PC
>> per year. That's also a high cost compared to larger volume purchases such
>> as Cleveland Public may make.
>>
>> I don't know the Open Office compatibility well, but I assume it works well
>> from Chad's comments.
>> All schools train students on MS Office use currently and most businesses
>> use MS Office(95%?). I'm just trying to figure out why and how the library
>> can pay someone to re-train the staff, patrons, students who need Word
>> because of teacher's requirements, etc, for the less than $15 it costs per
>> year per pc or less for education/library customers.
>>
>> I don't think there is a justification for the time spent making the change,
>> answering questions about versions, compatibility and so on, so I'd like to
>> see the cost/benefit analysis that someone has done that includes Reference
>> staff time, support staff time, consultant time, and user irritation time
>> (with having to do something new). Based on past experience, I would
>> anticipate an average of 60 min staff/support per day per 20 pc's, answering
>> questions, retraining new staff, explaining to staff and patrons, etc. 20
>> pc's cost is $300 per year for licenses for MS Office. A librarian is
>> conservatively $50k cost per year with benefits. 1 hour is roughly $24 x 52
>> = $1250/year versus $300 MS office Cost.
>>
>> Is this a good subject for study, for techs to know about and continue
>> watching? Of course. However, the extra costs may be better spent on books
>> or new PC's, more bandwidth or fulfilling more user requests. No survey
>> I've seen says the public is demanding OO vs MS Office.
>>
>> Btw We don't sell MS Office or MS software to libraries other than the XP
>> OEM we put on the new custom computers we build. We've been supporting
>> libraries for over 15 years in multiple states.
>>
>> As Chad says "fwiw".
>>
>> Thomas Mason, MCSE, AANG, Sr. Consultant
>> Management Assistance, Inc.
>> Manufacturing, Academic and Government Solutions
>> "We make it happen for you!"
>> masontj at manasst.com 440.355.6962 Fax:440-355-4355
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: oplintech-bounces at oplin.org [mailto:oplintech-bounces at oplin.org] On
>> Behalf Of Chad Neeper (list)
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 2:39 PM
>> To: oplintech at oplin.org
>> Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] Open Office Software
>>
>> To add a business slant: I've been exclusively using OOo for business
>> for four+ years now. There's no going back to MS Office or Corel Office
>> (both of which I've used extensively in the last ten+ years). Especially
>> within OOo Calc (think Excel or Quattro Pro), I can attest to the
>> completeness of the feature set and compatibility OOo has with MS
>> Office. OOo is pretty much a no-brainer compared with MS Office.
>>
>> When it comes to the schools and libraries I support, I've been slowly
>> introducing OOo. I think Chauncey's comments about staff adoption are
>> spot-on. Some of the staff take to it right away with no problems.
>> Others are resistant to change and don't want to take any time at all to
>> adjust to a different program, even though the OOo interface is similar
>> to that of pre-2007 MS Office.
>>
>> For what it's worth,
>> Chad
>>
>> -----------------------
>> Chad Neeper
>> Senior Systems Engineer
>>
>> Level 9 Networks
>> 740-548-8070 (voice)
>> 866-214-6607 (fax)
>>
>> -- Full LAN/WAN consulting services --
>> -- Specialized in libraries and schools --
>>
>>
>>
>> shivelri at oplin.org wrote:
>>
>>> Hello, I am the IT Specialist at Greenville Public Library and we have
>>> started to use OO for some of our patron and staff computers. I was
>>> curious as to how many other libraries are using OO and what their
>>> experience has been with it? Do the patrons get along fine with it?
>>> Does the staff?
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>
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--
-----------------------
Chad Neeper
Senior Systems Engineer
Level 9 Networks
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)
-- Full LAN/WAN consulting services --
-- Specialized in libraries and schools --
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