The RSPCA is evaluating open source desktop software, saying the move will help to reduce software licensing costs and extend the organisation's hardware life cycle.

The charity hopes eventually to switch many desktops to Linux. But implementation would be piecemeal while it resolves issues such as training and, more importantly, porting several legacy Windows-based bespoke applications.

It has begun evaluating Linux versions of OpenOffice and MySQL.

"We had to swallow the increased cost of Microsoft's software licensing recently but we can't justify that level of expenditure on software rather than preventing animal cruelty," Chris Rolfe, network manager at the RSPCA, told vnunet.com.

He said the charity was looking towards using Linux on the desktop within 12 months."As well as the software cost benefits we feel that moving to Linux will help us get more out of our hardware.

"Like any organisation we review our hardware infrastructure every three years and feel that switching to Linux could extend the upgrade cycle to five years and possibly longer."

A report out this week by analyst Gartner questions whether the total cost of ownership of Linux on the desktop will prove less than Windows, alleging that, "in most cases", it will not.

But Rolfe is confident that additional costs such as training will not outweigh cost benefits.

"Training is going to be an issue; the look and feel is different for people used to using Windows NT, but products like OpenOffice will make the transition easier," he said.

"The major factor holding us back is that some of our legacy applications are Windows-based."

The RSPCA, which employs 1,800 staff in the UK, has also implemented a new unified messaging system based on Novell's GroupWise technologies, expected to save the organisation £2m over five years, compared to traditional media.

And because the RSPCA is a prosecuting charity, its system had to ensure confidentiality for phone calls, text messages, faxes and emails.

It will allow the charity's 500 field officers to receive emergency updates via text message, to access their desktop voice mails though a mobile and to receive faxes in email format.

"When required we contact everyone in the organisation, regardless of location, within 45 minutes," said Rolfe.

Previously, the charity used separate software for faxes, Private Branch Exchange (PBX) units and mobiles. It now uses "far fewer" PBXs, he added.

It has chosen components from Novell's Nterprise solution, TopCall, GroupWise and Novell eDirectory to create a cross-platform foundation for the communications network.

The technologies will also underpin the charity's planned new national call centre, scheduled to take its first calls in November.

Cisco's Unity project and Microsoft's Exchange technologies were also evaluated but rejected; Cisco's because it was "not considered mature enough at the time", and Microsoft's because "Novell was a better fit with what we had already", explained Rolfe.