Hi, Here is an email I just got from a reporter in News.com which talks about Redhat support prices, as well as official supports for Linux from vendors. Anyone wanna open a support center (besides PF1) in Israel? :) Hetz -- Linux - The STABLE and FUN way to operate
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- To: Hetz Ben Hamo <hetz@dream.co.il>
- Subject: Re: Little correction
- From: Stephen Shankland <stephens@cnet.com>
- Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 12:54:48 -0800
- In-Reply-To: <36B21EEB.4DA9E7AC@dream.co.il>
Well, actually, the one-year plan with Red Hat is $35,000, for 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; 24x7 is $60,000, I believe. I believe the 99.9 percent guarantee comes only with super-expensive models. I think it's clear that you don't have to pay for a support contract if you feel confident of your in-house abilities, regardless of which OS you choose; the support issue seems to come up in the context of reassuring nervous IT bigwigs. I didn't have the space to go into all the detail, but basically it seemed to me that Microsoft support was a lot cheaper--per incident or per year. But the more important issue, I believe, is that your Linux server isn't going to croak as often. Thanks for writing! sts At 10:49 PM 1/29/99 +0200, you wrote: >Hi, > >I just read your article named "Linux hits Microsoft where it hurts" and I >would >like to correct you at a point. > >"Microsoft, though, points to guarantees from Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, and Data >General for NT servers that stay up and running 99.9 percent of the time." > >In day to day business this issue is not working. I'm working at a full >based NT >server ISP, and believe me - I don't have enough hair to count the times >that NT >crashed, halted, did stupid things BY ITSELF. > >You could argue with me that maybe we don't know NT, but the people who >supports >our servers are Microsoft Israel - no less than that - and it still crashes and >requires a boot at least TWICE a week. > >Now, you can take a look at other commercial vendors who supports Linux now. >Here is a small list: HP, Dell, Compaq, SGI, VA Research, and soon (probably >next month) IBM. Now that's can cover the support issue. > >Oh, and about those support prices - you're talking about 10 incidents for >2,995$ - if you have called Redhat and talked to those sales persons, you would >have found a full year contract can be achieved for about $3,500. Microsoft for >a year takes no less than $6,700, so please check your calculation. Don't >forget >that once you have Unix admin in the company - then you don't need the support >contract. Try to post a question on a newsgroups - I can guarantee you'll get >answer in less than 1 hour, and that NOT like those guys from MS who all >they do >is reading the answer from Tech Net. > >Just some points for you to think. > >Sincerely yours, >Hetz Ben Hamo > >-- >Linux - The STABLE and FUN way to operate Stephen Shankland, reporter CNET News.com, 150 Chestnut St., San Francisco, CA 94111 415-395-7805 x1319
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