IBM’s Solid Stake on the Desktop: “‘CROSS-PLATFORM PLAY.’ IBM’s new foothold on the desktop comes at a time when early-adopter corporations are considering shifting from Windows to the open-source Linux operating system to reduce costs and avoid being locked in to Microsoft (MSFT ) products. Approximately one-third of the people using Workplace have Linux computers. ”
So … if a software solution runs on mutiple OS’s it all of a sudden is no longer a lock in ? I would argue it still is but on a different level.
To a certain extend Workplace is duplicating Notes functionality and adding features and functionality (Productivity apps ??). I think Notes is still a good example of a lock in; although it runs on various OS’s; Thousands of clients running thousands and thousands of soon to become legacy applications.
In this situation the new lock in is called Websphere. There aparently is also the persception that open source linux brings cost savings compared to Windows. This may be true in some cases, but is very debatable I would say.
On the orther hand competition is good, it will drive bith IBM and Microsoft to create even better solutions.
