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Henry Bremridge wrote:
> I am intending to write a letter to our elected representatives pointing out the
> cost of MS and the alternatives available; hence areas where Devon CC can
> considerably increase the value of their IT spending. If looked at intelligently.
2nd tranche, going back in time.
Italian Parliament defenestration ( midgley) 13/07/2007, 13:26
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40957
Sensible of them.
Defenestration: Microsoft's office suite: open format conversion (
midgley) 01/08/2007, 15:33
SUN has a plugin that can save MSoffice files in ODF format.
http://www.sun.com/software/star/openoffice/
down the page a bit
Boston tea party stewed? ( midgley) 03/08/2007, 23:15
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20070801182558375
the interim CIO has announced that MS' new office format will be
acceptable for archiving.
From the closed government point of view it is convenient to have a way
of saving documents that makes them hard to read after a while.
However this is probably due to simpler .............. politics.
Thinkpad Linux preinstalls - Lenovo picks SuSE ( midgley) 07/08/2007, 8:58
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/08/06/lenovo_linux/
SuSE Linux is what our Thinkpads have been running.
Dell: Linux: UK: tomorrow (preinstalled Ubuntu) ( midgley) 08/08/2007,
23:44
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/08/08/dell_ubuntu/
One model each of laptop and desktop to start with. Standard kit.
Google adds Star Office to Google Pack ( midgley) 13/08/2007, 1:00
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/08/google-pack-adds-staroffice.html
Interesting. SOffice is largely common code with OOffice.org but has
assorted bits and pieces added.
So anyone who downloads the free Google pack gets a free office suite if
they want it, now.
Add synchronisation of documents from it via Google's documents servers
and on-line editing of same, and it begins to look like a general solution.
converting MSO templates to OOo templates ( midgley) 13/08/2007, 1:02
http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/2007/01/openoffice_temp.html
Exercise some caution with the result, but it should at least speed
conversion if you have any forms etc.
RE: Defenestration ( midgley) 04/12/2007, 13:49
Ingram Micro is a supplier of PCs.
They now offer Acer desktops and laptops with linux installed for about
£50 less than the windows versions.
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
Dutch pull finger out, oh boy ( midgley) 17/12/2007, 15:13
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/17/dutch_gov_open_source_standards/
vrije means free as in speech, like libre, not gratuit.
... Norway 2 (ODF); Italian foreign ministry ( midgley) 24/12/2007, 15:27
Norway goes ODF
http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fad/pressesenter/pressemeldinger/2007/Apne-dokumentstandarder-blir-obligatoris.html?id=494810
http://virtuelvis.com/archives/2007/12/norway-mandates-html-pdf-odf
Regjeringa har vedteke at all informasjon på statlege nettsider skal
vere tilgjengeleg i dei opne dokumentformata HTML, PDF eller ODF. Tida
der offentlege dokument berre var tilgjengelege i Microsofts Word-format
vil med det gå mot slutten.
[Groklaw part trans: * ODF (ISO/IEC 26300) must be used when publishing
documents that are meant to be changed after downloading, eg. forms that
are to be filled in by the user.]
Italian Ministry of Economics and Finance uses Linux for
mission-critical apps
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/12/18/228650/italian-ministry-of-economics-and-finance-uses-linux-for-mission-critical.htm
The Italian Ministry of Economics and Finance has selected Red Hat Linux
systems to run the organisation's mission-critical applications.
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Dell supplies later Ubuntu etc ( Midgley) 27/12/2007, 14:37
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/19/ubuntu_gutsy_dell/
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
Russian schools - largescale FLOSS, Linux move ( Midgley) 20/01/2008, 10:46
http://opendotdotdot.blogspot.com/2008/01/russian-schools-say-to-open-source.html
"this year the open source software packages will be installed in 1200
schools in pilot regions, i.e. Perm Territory, Tomsk Region, and
Tatarstan. Although abroad Linux is widely used in state institutions
and at schools (in the Spanish province of Estremadura it is installed
on all school computers), such a large-scale migration to the open
source software has not been carried out before. After testing in three
pilot regions over 2008 and making adjustments, Linux is planned to be
installed in more than 61 thousand Russian schools."
Bolshoyeh!
... Want Russian Linux? ( Midgley) 20/01/2008, 10:51
"we have launched the site http://linux.armd.ru, where the distributive
current versions might be downloaded by anyone."
From
http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2008/01/15/283177
"I believe only 5% of software in Russian schools is legal".
I'm disinclined to criticise efforts to use software whose authors want
it used rather than software whose authors object to current use. MS
don't of course, whatever they say, along th usual "First hit is free"
lines.
Paris Police Prefer Penguins ( Midgley) 31/01/2008, 12:27
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/30/french_open/
Microsoft will be storming the Bastille no doubt.
Solothurn (Swiss); Macedonia ( MiDgLeY) 03/03/2008, 18:14
The swiss canton Solothurn is migrating 2000 desktops to Debian GNU / Linux
http://times.debian.net/1224
The IT adminstration of the swiss canton Solothurn will conclude the
2000 desktop migration to Debian GNU / Linux by the end of 2008. ..."The
independence from suppliers and its business policy played an important
role with our decision. Beyond that, the low cost of optimization was an
important argument for the free operating system Debian GNU / Linux".
The Ministry of Finance in the Republic of Macedonia uses Debian GNU
Linux in its servers
http://times.debian.net/1221
Update on Vienna ( MiDgLeY) 03/03/2008, 18:14
The City of Vienna & Open Source: A Fuzzy-Logic Story
http://www.cognitivecombine.com/?p=224
Wienux, the Vienna distribution ( MiDgLeY) 03/03/2008, 18:18
http://www.wien.gv.at/ma14/wienux.html
If you sprechen Deutsch or want to this may be handy for you.
I think it is prudent to reserve money against the possible failure of a
move, although whether reserving it for VIsta licnces is prudent is
another can of annelids.
Specsavers [UK commercial] ( MiDgLeY) 04/03/2008, 8:38
Specsavers sees clear benefits in open source
http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/casestudy/0,1000001994,39303425,00.htm
The expanding Specsavers has an official corporate policy to use
open-source software and open standards by default.
(from the OSWALD newsletter, as are points above)
Singapura 2004 ( Midgley) 05/03/2008, 22:31
Gov ditched Microsoft Office.
Munich[1] ( Midgley) 05/03/2008, 22:34
2008 is the intended roll-out of office desktop Linux in Munich's city
government.
[1] I can't be doing with Umlauts or I'd spell it how they do.
IBM reinvents the PC, Microsoft-free ( Midgley) 05/03/2008, 22:35
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/03/05/ibm_open_referent/
Linux ...
MS business model and the race to the bottom ( Midgley) 08/03/2008, 10:13
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmleuty/2316865025/?addedcomment=1#comment72157604071594191
MS sell Windows for $3 in large portions of the world, this is probably
no more than twice its marginal cost of production and distribution,
which is where economic theory predicts its price will be going.
MS propose to take on considerable levels of debt to service an
acquisition of Yahoo. (I think they would be mad, but if they carry on
I'll only worry about the collateral damage.
European parliament streaming etc petition ( Midgley) 08/03/2008, 11:40
http://www.openparliament.eu/mep-petition-campaign/open-mep-access-petition
Some of you will want to join me and Glyn moody in signing this
petition. Off you go.
US Navy ( Midgley) 18/03/2008, 0:33
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/151858-1.html
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
HP preloads SuSE for India, but not yet EMEA ( Midgley) 19/03/2008, 13:09
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/03/18/hp_novell_india_suse_deal/
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
Bristol saved money: £ 1.1 million ( Midgley) 24/03/2008, 13:12
http://www.computerworlduk.com/toolbox/open-source/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=592&blogid=14
Bristol dumped Microsoft Office, in favour of the adequate and largely
Open Source Star Office derivative of Open Office, which comes with
support from SUN, a large and commonly reliable IT company although
American.
They have carried on running Windows on their desktops, mainly, for the
moment. Moving piece by piece is sensible.
They also moved to the ISO standard file format, ODF, which MS is
currently trying to undermine with FUD, slurs, stacking and somehting I
cannot distinguish from bribery with any degree of reliability.
"implementing StarOffice for 5,500 desktops in Bristol saved 1.1 million
GBP (1.4 million euro) in comparison to the total cost of implementing
Microsoft Office. "The licences for StarOffice cost us 186,000 GBP
(243,000 euro), in comparison to 1.4 million GBP (1.8 million euro) for
MS Office."
These major savings were offset slightly by extra time needed for
implementing StarOffice. Implementation cost the city council 484,000
GBP (632,000 euro), double the estimate for MS Office. This was due to
document conversion and training, said the IT Strategy manager.
Explaining and troubleshooting the new office applications took several
months more than planned. "
If you were a ratepayer in Bristol, or a GP needing support for your
patients from the council's social services, you would no doubt be
pleased by this.
If you are a ratepayer, etc, elsewhere, then it would appear likely that
a saving of the same order is available for you if your council were
persuaded to adopt the same view.
Make it so, is my advice
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
(Unless you livein Newham, of course) ( Midgley) 24/03/2008, 13:14
where the open source related saving appears to be that rather than
Newham paying Microsoft for software and support and development,
Microsoft are paying Newham to use it, and to say it is good.
An old business model, and one which is illegal in some jurisdictions.
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
Freiburg going Free ( Midgley) 24/03/2008, 13:54
http://www.computerworlduk.com/toolbox/open-source/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=621&blogid=14
I've never been there, but it looks nice enough from orbit.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Freiburg,+Germany&ie=UTF8&ll=48.005544,7.859344&spn=0.119904,0.31311&t=h&z=11
"In the German city of Freiburg, four hundred of the two thousand PCs
used by the city council are now running OpenOffice.
The migration to the Open Source suite of office applications is a
intermediate goal, saving the city up to half a million euro in licence
costs. The city's final aim is to switch to an Open Source desktop. "
Interestingly they started with a move to the ISO document standard,
ODF, and express concern that Microsoft's escapades have now rendered
the national standards orgnaisations unreliabe for public authorities.
Those of us who deal with public authorities should regard that with
some alarm.
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
Swiss schools give Windows the boot from dual boot menu ( mIdgley)
09/04/2008, 19:10
It is their view of best practice.
Mine, also.
http://education.zdnet.com/?p=1615
Picked up via the Enquirer.
"9000 computers in Swiss schools have been dual-booting Windows and and
Ubuntu for some time now in anticipation of guidelines from the
Switzerland’s Department of Public Instruction, whose motto is “Long
Live Free Software.” The Tribune de Geneve featured a story on Friday
about the elimination of dual boot capabilities in all of these machines
and a migration exclusively to Linux (the original story is available
here in French or here in English courtesy of Google’s language tools).
Beginning this September, all 9000 computers will run only Ubuntu and
free and open source software. While officials are happy to be saving
money on licensing, the Department of Public instruction largely made
the move out of what they considered best practices for student education"
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
... vive les logiciels libre ( mIdgley) 09/04/2008, 19:15
http://www.tdg.ch/pages/home/tribune_de_geneve/recherche/recherche_3_2_1/(contenu)/211880
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
Free MS not good VFM! Newham fires Microsoft. ( Midgley) 18/04/2008, 22:19
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/04/18/microsoft-flagship-flounders
Hot shit!
0 colleagues voted this a quality posting.
Geneva schools ( mIdgley) 30/04/2008, 18:43
http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7576/6008
Progressively to Linux and OOo
"About 70,000 students and their 7,000 teachers in the Geneva school
district will gradually be moving to Open Source." ...
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