Top find, thanks Derek.
Derek Smithies wrote:
Hi <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3577892&thesection=business&thesubsection=technology&thesecondsubsection=information>
Opening paragraphs::
NZX - the New Zealand stock exchange - has become the first major New Zealand company to adopt the Oracle 10g database running on Red Hat Linux.
Apart from being able to consolidate 21 databases into one, the new NZX system runs faster, more reliably and at less cost, says the company's tech team.
One key query - searching the data on historical trades to identify maximum trade values - has been cut from 36 seconds to 0.03 seconds.
Derek.
Especially pertinent is this bit:
"Few New Zealand organisations have heeded the message so far, despite the country's reputation for being both cost conscious and an early adopter of technology.
New Zealand's addiction to the Microsoft drug - seemingly low sticker price, ready access to people with the necessary skills - means Linux adoption seems to be slower in this country than elsewhere, especially Asia.
Oracle is trying to change that."
In a nutshell - point & click, broadcast technology (& the shortfall in teacher training) has kids hooked on mainstream decline. A loud & stimulating noise is required to bring the smarter alternatives into view, and this is especially difficult in conservative bastions like (in many ways) New Zealand, & especially Canterbury/Christchurch.
Getting corporates like Oracle alongside the LUGs is a critical step forward, educationally.
Rik
