How do you deal with different client requirements in a not-yet-Linux world?

There are a number of desktop-bound applications that require specific platforms. Fortunately, these are becoming rarer each day. Applications like Visio as well as certain network management tools require we have a population of Windows XP laptops and servers For example, the physical security and access control is Windows. We basically require that the dependencies on desktop OS be kept to an absolute minimum.

Getting out your crystal ball, for what types of organizations and enterprises is Linux going to be making the biggest impact in terms of cost and operability?

The companies that will most likely benefit from a Linux strategy are primarily young companies that don't have legacy infrastructure to move forward.

Many startups obviously are finding benefits from starting out with Linux in the core and they are increasing. Technology companies are also prime candidates to embrace a Linux strategy If they have a strong Solaris or AIX background, then there is already a resource base to tap There is no innovation currently occurring on the desktop, perhaps with the exception of Mac OS X, all of the new tools are AJAX or Ruby-based; therefore, there is no preponderance for Windows desktops Companies that want to embrace a Web 2.0 future can use Linux as the core enterprise platform.

What are some things that you see from the seat of a CIO with respect to Linux, that not every IT person sees?

I am constantly asking the IT staff to think about the cost of desktop dependent functionality. It seems that any time you create dependencies on the desktop, you drive up the cost of managing infrastructure By deploying and managing a Web interface you only need to deal with the issues at the server level, rather than managing the desktop image of hundreds of desktops - a function that we did frequently at previous jobs. This also applies to server-to-server functionality. We constantly look for SOAP - or SOA-based technology - to ease the integration requirements. Removing dependencies between databases and applications is a big priority.