BMW Dealer Buys a Tux

NewsForge’s Tina Gasperson checks in with a story about a Canadian BMW dealership who recently turned to Linux to replace some internal systems. While they still use Windows on the desktop to run proprietary BMW software, they have saved money by moving some of their in-house equipment to Linux.

The dealership actually contracted an outside consulting firm to do the job, and they in turn recommended the Net Integrator Linux appliance. The contractor’s job was to secure the network from the outside as well as from an inside point (a lounge) that would offer free Internet access, presumably by customers and business associates. In the end, the dealership realized a cost savings vs. Windows as well as a more secure and efficient network.

I like the way the contractor, Bentor Technologies, handled the job; they didn’t just come in and hammer home the Open Source ideology. They instead showed the customer the difference between Linux and Windows, and then allowed the customer an evaluation period. In the end, the product sold itself.