Virus Plague Causes Charity to Consider Linux

Development charity ActionAid is considering a major move from Windows desktops to Linux after repeated virus outbreaks created serious problems across its computer systems.

The poverty relief organisation, which operates in around 30 countries, has become increasingly frustrated with the amount of time and effort needed to clean up infected Windows PCs. The charity was also hit by the Emmanuel bug, adding to the pressure on its IT team.

Kerry Scott, IT director at ActionAid, said the impact of viruses has pushed the organisation to look at Linux much more seriously. Earlier concerns had focused on whether Linux had suitable desktop applications, especially word processing tools, but the growing cost and disruption of virus outbreaks has changed the discussion.

“We’re seeing an increasingly large number of viruses from a number of sources which are causing a great deal of problems and inconvenience. Linux might be a way around that and also of reducing the cost of operating a desktop,” said Scott.

For ActionAid, the problem is not only technical. Email is one of the charity’s most important communication methods, especially for staying in contact with remote offices around the world. Virus outbreaks have disrupted email operations and, in some cases, left staff unable to contact offices over the Internet.

The organisation has also lost valuable staff time dealing with infected systems. For a charity, every hour spent cleaning up virus damage is time taken away from its real mission.

The situation highlights why some organisations are beginning to look beyond Windows for desktop computing. Linux has long been respected on servers, but stories like this show why it is also becoming more interesting as a desktop alternative.

For ActionAid, Linux could offer better protection from the constant stream of Windows-targeted viruses, while also helping reduce the cost of operating desktop machines.

The move is not guaranteed yet, but the fact that a large international charity is seriously considering Linux shows how security, reliability, and cost can become powerful reasons to rethink the desktop.

Source: NewsForge report.