Released on: December 29, 2007, 9:39 pm

Press Release Author: IPSYSTEMS Inc

Industry: Telecommunications

Press Release Summary: Leading Philippine construction company EEI Corporation
chooses Linux and open source for their back-end infrastructure to further achieve
scalability and cost-efficiency.

Press Release Body: EEI Corporation, one of the Philippines\' leading construction
companies, has opted to shift to Linux for their operating system (OS), joining
several other industry giants in the country who have already turned to open source.

The firm initially used proprietary systems for both OS platforms and various
application packages utilized in its operations. However, due to increasing costs of
licensing, the company started considering open source applications in order to
minimize expenses.

"Other concerns, such as virus infection and the increasing cost of hardware also
became factors as to why we decided to use Linux," said Mr. Andy S. Sarmiento,
assistant vice president for the MIS department.

EEI Corporation is only one of several industry giants in the Philippines which are
already using Linux and open source software. Other firms include Jollibee Foods
Corporation, Mercury Drug Corporation, International Family Foods Services
(Shakey's) and Nippon Paint Philippines Inc. Several schools, notably the University
of the Philippines, are also making use of open source in place of proprietary
systems.

To ensure smooth transition with no major disruptions on daily operations, EEI
sought the expertise of local Linux solutions provider IPSYSTEMS Inc
(www.ipsystems.ph).

"As one of the country's leading enterprise, EEI needed a system which it could
trust to be stable and scalable. We therefore transformed the company's enterprise
level systems to make use of Linux as their operating system. At the same time, we
introduced making use of several other software and applications also based on open
source," said Mr. Carlo Celis, systems administrator of IPSYSTEMS.

Free and open source software (FOSS) is called such because its source code is made
freely available for modification and redistribution by anyone - thus the term
"free" software. An example of such free software is Linux, which is an open-source
operating system and is one of the alternatives to the Windows operating system.
Linux is distributed under the GNU General Public License which guarantees the
freedom to distribute copies of free software.

This freedom allows for the software's cost-effectiveness, as compared to
proprietary ones. For example, commercial software licenses such as Microsoft
Exchange 2003 server today have an initial cost of around Php 69,000.00
(approximately USD 1,600.00). This price allows up to five licensed computers to
connect to the server, while additional computers will need additional licenses
(called Client Access License or CAL) to be legally connected to the server. This
price also only covers the initial software license cost, and does not include the
cost for the hardware or its yearly license maintenance.

The cost of having a file server system based on Linux, on the other hand, will cost
only a one-time payment of roughly Php 25,000.00 (about USD 580.00), with no other
recurring costs for CALs or for license renewals.

Since turning to Linux, EEI has experienced improved performance due to the system\'s
increased stability. "Linux has proven itself to be a fast, reliable and stable
operating system. The shift has also required our systems to consume fewer resources
and much cheaper licensing costs," said Mr. Sarmiento.

About IPSYSTEMS Inc
IPSYSTEMS Inc is a Linux solutions provider specializing in Open Source technologies
for the server requirements of Philippine enterprises and organizations.
Incorporated in April 1998, its technical team consists of seasoned experts in
systems integration, development and maintenance, with over ten (10) years of
experience in open source.

IPSYSTEMS provides the Linux advantage - the benefits, convenience and security of a
Linux server - along with the appropriate Linux-based solutions that best answer
customers' communication and network needs.
For further details, please visit: www.ipsystems.ph


Web Site: http://www.ipsystems.ph

Contact Details: IPSYSTEMS Inc
1004 Antel Global Corporate Center
#3 J. Vargas Ave. Ortigas Center
Pasig City Metro Manila Philippines 1605
+632 6383264
info@ipsystems.ph