If you’re a decision maker for a business, school or organization that’s been tempted to migrate your PCs to Linux now that free support has ended for Windows 7, you’ve probably identified some pain points. Desktop Linux distributions like Zorin OS are fast, secure and feature an attractive desktop that feels familiar. But you need a solution for centrally managing, securing and monitoring those PCs. You also need cross-platform software that fills the void when you make the switch permanent. That’s exactly where the newly announced Zorin Grid plans to enter the picture later this year.
Zorin Grid mockup (Not final design)
Zorin Grid is aimed specifically at organizations still running Windows 7 who want an alternative to upgrading or buying new hardware with Windows 10.
In a nutshell, Zorin Grid is a cloud-powered tool with the intention of making it simple to set up, manage, monitor and secure a fleet of Zorin OS computers. The Zorin team says it’s like “putting your PCs on auto-pilot.” The concept seems very similar to the Google Management Console, which lets an entire fleet of Chromebooks be managed from a single device.
From the announcement: “Imagine all of your organization's computers working in concert. When you choose to install an app or make a new security policy, it's deployed to your fleet automatically. It's just as easy to manage computers that are off-site as on-premises. Fully-owned or BYOD. And all of this is accessible anytime, anywhere, in the cloud.”
For the past 2 years, the Zorin team has been working with various organizations, soliciting feedback and building Zorin Grid.
The spark that ignited the idea for Zorin Grid happened when the city of Vicenza, Italy switched their city's PC infrastructure from Windows to Zorin OS in 2016. They explained that while Zorin OS's lower hardware requirements meant they could extend the life of the city's PC's by about 40%, it also presented a problem: onboarding and managing the computers was time-consuming and laborious. There wasn't an easy, centralized way to install & remove apps, change settings, and monitor how their computers were being used.
Zorin Grid doesn’t officially launch until this summer, however. I asked Artyom Zorin if he was concerned about announcing Zorin Grid (roughly) 6 months before its anticipated launch, and he had this to say:
"Significant IT migrations – like switching OSes – often take months for larger organizations to finish. We're recommending organizations to start preparing for a full-scale migration to Linux now and in stages, with the new guide we've published.
I’ve looked through that migration guide and it's exceptional. It uses easy to understand language and includes not just installing Zorin OS, but also a comprehensive table of alternative and cross-platform apps available in Linux. This is particularly useful for people migrating from Windows to Linux. The list covers commercial and open source alternatives on Linux for remote desktop, Microsoft Office and Outlook, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, Premier Pro and Photoshop, Cinema 4D and others, complete with links that lead to every app's homepage.
Zorin Grid promises to make managing a fleet of Desktop Linux PCs easy
The guide also contains useful suggestions for gently easing employees from Windows to Zorin OS. What I appreciate about this guide is it can be easily adapted for most other Linux distribution — something the Zorin OS team is 100% behind.
In fact, the Zorin Grid roadmap includes adding support for other Linux distributions shortly after the service launches.
The cost for the Zorin Grid service hasn't been announced yet, but it’s a premium service that organizations will pay for on a per-machine basis. reduced pricing will be available for schools and non-profit organizations. Both the announcement and the migration guide went live today, and you can absorb all the details at zorinos.com/grid.
My Takeaway:
If executed gracefully, this could be a significant step forward for desktop Linux in education and the workplace. I’ve been a vocal proponent of Linux distributions seeking out ways to monetize their efforts in a meaningful way, and this looks to be a prime example of that. Organizations pay for a valuable service (but still save money versus Windows), and individuals still get a solid Ubuntu-based Linux distribution for free.
