Offering regional and national programs, CIO (and CSO) events bring together some of the most respected names and thought leaders in information technology and security. Presented by CIOs and other senior level executives, these invitation-only programs offer timely topics and strong networking. Learn More »
June 17, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM U.S./ET (GMT-4)
Larry Bonfante, CIO of the U.S. Tennis Association, will discuss the skills and approaches that your rising IT leaders must learn to be effective in an executive capacity.
How to Handle Your New CEO: Managing Turnover at the Top
June 18, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM U.S./Eastern (GMT-4)
Turbulent times have increased turnover at the top. Find out what Council CIOs have done to "break in" new CEOs—build relationships, set expectations, educate on the role of IT.
Mid-Market CIO Panel: Tips and Techniques for Improving Vendor Relationships
July 15, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM U.S./Eastern (GMT-4)
We'll highlight relationship priorities and best practices identified in a Council study, and we'll interact with a CIO panel on the approaches they've used to improve strategic vendor partnerships.
Executive Competencies Assessment Tool
Assess Your Business Leadership Skills with the Council's new benchmarking tool. Rate yourself in change leadership, strategy, customer focus and more.
Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »Apply today for a FREE subscription to CIO Magazine!
March 29, 2007 — IDG News Service —
Dell will start offering Linux pre-installed on its PCs and notebooks, the company said yesterday. That’s thanks to customer feedback that Dell began soliciting last month.
Dell said that top of mind among customers was that the company should offer Linux as an alternative to Windows on its personal computers, according to a posting on a company blog. Dell said it "has heard" what customers said and will act accordingly.
"We will expand our Linux support beyond our existing servers and Precision workstation line," the company said on its IdeaStorm blog. "Our first step in this effort is offering Linux pre-installed on select desktop and notebook systems."
The company said it will provide an update in the coming weeks that includes detailed information on which systems it will offer, testing and certification efforts, and the Linux distribution or distributions that will be available.
Dell said earlier this month it had begun polling customers about what changes they want to see from the company. These efforts began soon after founder Michael Dell returned to the company’s helm, when customers began to ask Dell to expand their software choices for PCs. Dell has been struggling in a PC market it once dominated, and is hoping that offering Linux on PCs will spur company growth.
On Wednesday, Dell posted the results of a customer Linux poll on the IdeaStorm blog. According to Dell, more than 70 percent of survey respondents said they would use a Dell system with a Linux OS for both home and office use, and said they wanted a choice between both notebook and desktop offerings.
The majority of survey respondents said that existing community-based support forums would meet their technical support needs for a tested and validated Linux OS on a Dell computer and indicated that improved hardware support for Linux machines is as important as the distribution offered, according to Dell.
Dell also said that customers are more concerned about driver compatibility and Linux kernel support than they are about which distribution Dell would choose for its PCs and notebooks.
The company is currently deciding which specific software to use and advised customers to stay tuned. Dell offered more details about how it will offer Linux on PCs on its Direct2Dell blog, which is designed to collect customer feedback.