There are a lot of good reasons for moving to Linux on the desktop-primary amongst these are that it is more secure, it doesn't have the virus problems that Windows has and, of course, you can save tons 'of money on licences.

For the IT department, once a Linux system is set up, it is very easy to manage and requires very little maintenance. Many IT administrators have found that they never have to attend to a Linux desktop, reformat the machine every couple of months, or spend sleepless nights cleaning the viruses and wiping off spywars.

But before you make the move, here are a few suggestions on the best practices to be followed before moving to Linux on the desktop. a familiar look and feel.
Organisations have already saved a fortune by moving to OpenOffice.org alone. 90 per cent of users in any organisation need only 10 per cent of the functionality, and OpenOffice.org today has most of the functionality an average user would use and a lot more. In fact, today, OpenOffice.org has many nice features such as export to PDF, native support for the ISO-approved Open Document Format (ODF), and support for Microsoft file formats. It can also export presentations to Macromedia Flash.

In addition to the office suite, Mozilla Firefox is an excellent browser. There is a reason it is the fastest¬growing browser when it comes to market share-it is secure and there are lots of extensions with which you can enhance the application for your requirements. Highlighting the huge savings in licence fees for MS Office, and introducing open source applications is a great way to break down resistance in organisations to making the leap to Linux on the desktop.

•If you are investing in new computers for new users or applications, this is a good time to start directly with one or two applications such as POS terminals, data-entry machines, call centre PCs, etc. Eliminating the cost of a full Windows licence for a fixed function is motivation enough to move to a Linux desktop in your business.
•A low impact way of persuading key people in the organisation to consider Linux is to 'dual boot' their Windows machines with Linux. This is a very simple process usually, and during start-up the user can choose which operating system to use. Very often, there will be some key persons in a company who advocate
no change. Increasing their familiarity with Linux, reassuring them that it works on standard machines and that it is compatible with their peripherals, will
go a long way to making the switch to Linux easier. It also offers them the reassurance of switching back to Windows should the decision not be made to go with Linux.

•Change your IT policy! When buying new applications, computers or peripherals ensure that you buy products that work well with Linux. This protects you in the future. When tomorrow you move to Linux, you aren't stuck with legacy applications that can't be ported.

• And last but not the least, invest some of the savings that you get from the licences into training and support. This will ensure that users are more comfortable and they have access to expert support.
Of course, there are lots of other things to take care of
if you want a smooth migration from a Windows-dominated workplace to Linux. However, I believe the few points mentioned above could help you get started at least.