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Will Alternatives to Microsoft Become Mainstream? (continued)

Culture Dictates the Play
Some IT analysts believe the pace of change is governed more by culture than by business principles or cost concerns. They cite an intriguing disparity in alternative uptakes in various countries.

"For a while now, I've noticed that U.S. businesses are quite inflexible when it comes to adopting new technology. There seems to be a particular aversion to using this kind of third-party application for managing data," says Paul C. Williams, senior software engineer at LexisNexis Examen in Sacramento, Calif.

Conversely, he adds, "Businesspeople in developing countries, particularly in India and China, but also in the Eastern Bloc, are quite open to using these new tools. I would expect that trend to continue with corporate adoption of Internet-based applications."

His prediction: Managers in developing countries with large groups of people working collaboratively will tend to use the network-based tools, while the "rugged individualists" in the U.S. will continue to insist on stand-alone applications.

Which Will Switch?
The status quo will always have plenty of supporters, if not outright fans. "I don't expect many businesses to switch to online alternatives in the near future -- just because it is a switch to be made," says Jan Doornaert, project manager at Radar Automation N.V. in Belgium. "Too many vested interests, or 'it works just fine now, why change?' mindsets take over."

But at the end of the day, the needs of the global marketplace may override all other concerns.

"I suspect some changeovers may be financially motivated" says Williams. "But ultimately, due to the increasing need for document control and collaboration, some collaborative platform -- be it Google Docs, Sharepoint or something all together different -- will become adopted throughout businesses."

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