Specsavers - now moved over 100% to Linux !

[#1]

Specsavers, the UK's biggest Optician chain, have switched their entire systems - from tills to optical analysers - over to Red Hat Linux from Windows 2000 (!) in all 830 of their stores. In order to continue using their proprietary software they have ported it to platform agnostic JavaSpecsavers, the UK's biggest Optician chain, have switched their entire systems - from tills to optical analysers - over to Red Hat Linux from Windows 2000 (!) in all 830 of their stores. In order to continue using their proprietary software they have ported it to platform agnostic Java
(from <a href="http://twitter.com/ivanka/status/8033692975">here</a>)

[#2]

OK... but I bet they're not using Linux on desktops in their HO.

[#3]

Why not?

[#4]

Because it doesn't say so. Having back end processes running on Linux isn't that much of a coup, if they'd changed *everything* that'd be bigger news.

[#5]

Quote from: biker955

, have switched their entire systems - from tills to optical analysers

Thats hardly

Quote from: adiewoo

back end processes

Back end process are like web and file servers this the the whole shop. And if they have gone for Linux there they are probably using it at the hq as well.

[#6]

Our tills run Linux, a lot of our servers are SuSE we have a few iSeries knocking around too.
Probably 3000+ desktops running windows.
See what I mean?

[#7]

So do YOU work for Specsavers then? If not how does what your company do control what they do?
When I used to work for Edinburgh Council there was like 10,000 desktops about 50% running Windows (the rest were Mac's ) and 300 Servers 50% Novell and the rest M$ about 10 Unix (Solaris) servers. But this has nothing to do with Specavers running Linux now!

[#8]

I agree - they wouldn't have specifically stated 'stores' if were a complete operation-wide shift.
There's nothing to support the claim, other than my cynical nature when reading press articles.
If one thing is singled out for mention, it often infers that anything not mentioned is not included.

[#9]

Quote from: biker955

(from <a href="http://twitter.com/ivanka/status/8033692975">here</a>)

Methinks some twits are a little slow on the uptake.....

Raleigh, NC – June 18, 2007 – Red Hat (NYSE: RHT), the world’s leading provider of open source solut...

[#10]

Quote

Raleigh, NC – June 18, 2007 – Red Hat (NYSE: RHT), the world’s leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that Specsavers, the UK’s most trusted optician

 

[#11]

Quote from: biker955

So do YOU work for Specsavers then? If not how does what your company do control what they do?

Nope I work for a much larger company and am used to reading rubbish press releases as James_G said.

[#12]

Quote from: biker955

(from <a href="http://twitter.com/ivanka/status/8033692975">here</a>)

Raleigh, NC – June 18, 2007 – Red Hat (NYSE: RHT), the world’s leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that Specsavers, the UK’s most trusted optician, is migrating all of its servers, desktops and tills from Microsoft Windows 2000 to Red Hat Enterprise Linux in its 830 stores in the UK, Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Spain.[/url]

Maybe they need glasses
Specsavers is an interesting company though.  It's a family business run from the Channel Islands.  Most of their outlets are franchises.

[#13]

Even the 2008 doc only makes reference to stores though doesn't it, other than a concession that they have also moved a couple of servers from Sun to Red Hat at head office.
I'm still where I was before at the minute.

[#14]

Quote from: artmo

Specsavers is an interesting company though.  ....  Most of their outlets are franchises.

So are McDonalds - but they aren't interesting unless you are a moron in need of money.

[#15]

When I worked with Maplin they used Fedora throughout, tills, back office machines etc. Makes financial sense for any company.
In my current role I work closely with the IT departments within the Healthcare Trust here. They are all on Windows, wouldn't know what Linux was. What an insane waste of taxpayers money!
Also heard on Sky news recently that the British MOD are using Windows and still IE6 of all things!!