Japan Govt. May Slam Shut Windows

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Gov't considers abandoning Microsoft Windows

Sunday, November 17, 2002 at 07:30 JST

http://japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=4&id=239325
<http://japantoday.com/e/?content=news&amp;cat=4&amp;id=239325>


TOKYO — The Japanese government is reviewing the possibility of no longer
using Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system as part of its plans to
boost computer security within the government, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper
reported Saturday.

Most of the government's servers and personal computers use Windows
software.

But the government is interested in studying alternative operating systems,
especially open-source programs such as Linux, the newspaper said.

Open-source programs do not require licensing fees and can be modified
because their source codes are made available for free.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will set up a panel of
experts to study the alternatives and what systems other governments use in
the next fiscal year beginning April 1, the newspaper said.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's panel on promoting electronic
government asked the government in August to develop or introduce an
open-source program for security reasons, it said. (Kyodo News)



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