IBM Teams With Ubuntu For Windows 7 Alternative

The new solution, the IBM Client for Smart Work, includes the Ubuntu Linux desktop PC operating system; IBM's Lotus Symphony office suite including a word processor, a spreadsheet application and presentation software; IBM Lotus Notes or the cloud-based LotusLive iNotes; and LotusLive cloud-based social networking and collaboration tools.

IBM Client for Smart Work is similar to solutions IBM has already been offering in other parts of the world, including Europe and Africa, where Linux is better accepted as an alternative to Microsoft Windows for desktop PC use, said Antony Satyadas, global marketing strategist for desktops at IBM.

IBM is bringing it to the U.S. market at a time when customer interest in open source software is rising because of the lower cost vs. Microsoft Windows-based software and the fact that open source gives customers more flexibility in terms of technology and workforce mobility, Satyadas said.

It also comes at a time when customers are contemplating when to move to Windows 7, and even whether or not to make that move, Satyadas said.

"The move from Windows XP to Windows 7 is not so much an upgrade, but more of an expensive migration," he said. "So customers are open to alternatives."

The IBM Client for Smart Work software can be used with new PCs as well as older PCs, laptops and even netbooks, Satyadas said.

For customers looking at the possibility of implementing a virtual desktop architecture, IBM also works with the Verde technology from Austin, Texas-based Virtual Bridges, he said.

"Verde has a unique capability to combine virtual Linux and Windows desktops with a common architecture," he said. "We also work with virtual desktop technology from VMware, Microsoft and Citrix, but they are focused on Windows."

The IBM Client for Smart Work is available through a variety of partners, including solution providers and managed services providers.