Ben Rosenberg
I firmly believe that if a system admin can't admin Linux/Unix boxes via commandline then they are not capable of doing the job and shouldn't be in the job.
That's the reason why people who has administered MS-Windows via GUI for years refuse to do the same with Linux. Some of them are also decision makers and so they decide Linux will not be supported. IMHO routine PC administration is not a research project requiring highly skilled specialists and an easy to use GUI application supporting centralized administration could do the job (if it existed). I administer a Linux cluster and several desktops and servers but I have no time to administer other people's desktops and notebooks - it's not my job. So I try to find a way how people who have the time but lack the skills can do it.
As far as support is concerned. All one has to do is buy support from the vendor that sells the hardware/software..such as IBM, SuSE, RH or any of the 100's of companies that have put these programs in place.
There are different levels of user support. In the hospital network here we have also an application support via a hotline. I think the IT person can remotely control the users desktop to see where the problem is and how to fix it. (I don't know about any Linux tool which can do that.) -- Alexandr.Malusek@imv.liu.se