In addition to the KDE desktop environment and Web browsers (both Netscape and Opera), the City of Largo also runs an Apache Web Server under Linux.
The thin clients also have access to Excel and PowerPoint running on Windows NT Server, thanks to Citrix Systems Inc.'s MetaFrame, and Unix-based applications, including Groupwise 4.1, WordPerfect 8, Oracle Financials, and several police applications. The city has a 20-server farm to run the NT, Unix, and Linux applications.
But Linux is the future direction of Largo, says Richards. In fact, Linux will be the city's core operating system in about 12 to 18 months.
Oracle 9i runs on Linux and the city has a project underway to create a central storage area for all of the city's data. Largo is also moving the whole city to OpenOffice (the open-source alternative to Sun Microsystems' StarOffice) that will replace the respective word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation functions of WordPerfect, Excel, and PowerPoint. Richards expects the OpenOffice project to take about one year because the city has 17 years' worth of WordPerfect documents, and OpenOffice lacks a native WordPerfect import filter.
The city is exploring e-mail server options, and plans to turn off GroupWise in the next few months. "Whatever we deploy to replace GroupWise, it will run on Linux," says Richards.
While Richards enjoys the challenge of developing a stable IT infrastructure with OS-independent thin clients, he admits that Largo's IT strategy isn't for everyone. It depends on an organization's existing infrastructure, staff, expertise, and budget.
"If the people at the top want PCs," he concedes, "then it's tough to win the thin-client debate."
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