IP: Norway dumps Microsoft

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Nathan Cochrane <ncochrane () theage fairfax com au>
Organization: The Age newspaper
Reply-To: ncochrane () theage fairfax com au
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 16:13:45 +1000
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Norway dumps Microsoft

Hi Dave

Interesting to consider this item from UK's The Register in light of the
European Commission's call to create an open source portal across Europe
as it seeks to cut its software bill, expected to rise 28 per cent to
EUR6.6 billion this year. Perhaps a legitimate use for P2P software?

Norwegian gov ditches contract with Microsoft
By John Lettice
"We think that the contract we've had with Microsoft has in reality
given them a monopoly in a field where we're better off getting
competition," said employment and administration minister Victor D Norman.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/26172.html

"European administrations should share software resources, a report
published by IDA says. This (portal), which would concentrate on
applications specific for the needs of the public sector, could
encourage the replication of good practice in eGovernment services.
(S)haring software developed for administrations could lead to
across-the-board improvements in efficiency of the European public sector."
Main website:
http://www.europa.eu.int/ispo/ida
Press release:
http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/ida/jsps/index.jsp?fuseAction=showDocument&parent=
news&documentID=550
Report and annexes:
http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/ida/export/files/en/1115.pdf
http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/ida/export/files/en/1116.pdf

The three tiers of Australia's governments (local, state, federal) must
spend a conservative $AU250 million dollars a year with Microsoft, and a
similar amount of money with other software providers. That's a big
whack to the balance of payments, lost jobs, lost tax revenue through
transfer pricing and lost opportunities to develop indigenous
intellectual property.

Microsoft, Victorian Govt sign AU$80 million deal
http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/enterprise/story/0,2000025001,20265283,00.h
tm

Victorian govt deal costs 28 per cent more
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/05/17/1021544074413.html

Queensland Government spends $77 million with Microsoft
http://www.powerlan.com.au/pwr_web_site/pwrweb.nsf/Web+Pages/3322B3A8B6048EF
5CA256A9A0017BB1E

South Australian Government says you can buy anything, as long as it's
Microsoft
http://www.government.ics.sa.gov.au/policy/POL4-1D.HTM

Same for WA's Education Department
http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/ltcontracts/ltc_microsoft.htm

Whole of Australian government Microsoft contract
http://www.govonline.gov.au/projects/wholeofgovonline/gsa.htm

Apparently many of the competitive tendering documents in government
boil down to a choice between Office 97 and Office 2000, or Windows NT
4.0 and Windows 2000 (rarely is it XP because most enterprises are not
convinced it delivers significant benefits over 2000). The same is
likely true in many other municipalities, administrations and NGO's
elsewhere in the world.

No real choice or competition at all.

Often the lynchpin is a standardised file format policy -- so you can
buy whatever you want, so long as it is 100 per cent Microsoft file
format compatible, which is all but impossible as Microsoft changes its
formats so often and for no real purpose other than to lock in customers.

MORE:
Original Norwegian stories
State drops Microsoft
http://www.nettavisen.no/servlets/page?section=9&item=223062

http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/okonomi/1987724.html
(Ironically, the multimedia stream at this site of the statement is
coded in Windows Media Audio format.)

-- 

Nathan Cochrane
Deputy IT Editor
:Next:
The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.next.theage.com.au



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