Experts warn over companies’ ‘IT ignorance’
AS GOOGLE launched its most audacious challenge yet to Microsoft by unveiling a browser to rival Internet Explorer, a team of computer experts at Teesside University said firms were failing to make the most of similar open source software.
The free browser, called Chrome, available today in more than 100 countries initially for computers running on Microsoft’s Windows operating system, will line up alongside Firefox - also supported by Google, but developed by the open-source Mozilla Foundation - and Safari as the number of non-licensed applications proliferates.
But the likelihood of local companies adopting any of them over Explorer is unlikely.
According to Dr Alan Jones, who heads up the computing department at Teesside University, companies were suffering from a ‘failure of imagination’. “They just do not realise what open source can do. The ignorance about IT is mile high,” he said.
With Microsoft XP being withdrawn from sale this year in favour of new Vista software and support services for XP closing, Dr Jones said it was the ideal time for local firms to look again at adopting standard-approved open source programmes.
The school, which is bidding for regional funding to provide a free consultancy service for firms looking to move to open source, has launched a questionnaire for companies interested in taking part. Go to tinyurl.com/open4business.
For an extended interview on open source, see next Tuesday’s nebusiness supplement.
