Microsoft Loses Munich Contract for 14,000 Computers to Free Linux Program

Bloomberg ^ | 06/16/04 | Bloomberg

[Pikamax]

Microsoft Loses Munich Contract to Linux Program (Update1) June 16 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp., whose Windows software runs 95 percent of the world's personal computers, lost a contract for programs to run 14,000 PCs for the Munich city government to the free Linux software.

[theFIRMbss]

>Microsoft Loses Munich Contract for 14,000 Computers to Free Linux Program

It's the employees
of Munich who lose in this.
Now, they must use crap.

[Cicero]

"IBM and Novell worked pro bono."

Sure. They did it out of the goodness of their hearts.

I think this is a political decision. Microsoft is the big, bad American ogre, and the good Socialists of Munich want to spread the revolution.

[Believe_In_The_Singularity]

Munich expects the project to have a start-up cost of about ...$42 million...

Munich expects that its own programmers will be able to provide most of the software.

Oh to be a bureaucratic programmer suckling on that large, government teet (sigh).

Watch this story. That amount will quadruple and there will be no end to this. They just don't get it. Why develop the same functionality more than once???

BITS

[SpyGuy]

I say this is a good thing. Let the stupid socialists loose productivity (and money) getting mired in non-compatibility issues and lack of off-the-shelf applications for their new OS.

[SpyGuy]

loose = lose

[isthisnickcool]

"IBM and Novell worked pro bono."

I thought Bono was killed when he skied into a tree?

Or, maybe they are talking about that singer from Ireland or whatever.

[Glenn]

Why develop the same functionality more than once???

This must be new functionality. Otherwise, why would they have to pay Microsoft again?

[Noumenon]

Linux - it's free - until it isn't. har de har har.

[anonymous_user]

It's PRO bono, which obviously means they're talking about the lead singer from U2. Duh. :)

[taxcontrol]

I would disagree, most of the applications required to run a city are databases - the vast majority of which must be programmed regardless of Windows, Linux or any other underlying OS. As for accounting and standard office software, there are plenty of Linux off-the-shelf applications that perform as well as - and often better than their Windows counter parts.

[Lost Highway]

Now, they must use crap.

Linux=crap?

[anonymous_user]

Can't wait for the version of MS-Büro fur das Linux Komputerofahrenschlussemachen.

[taxcontrol]

I would greatly disagree.

I have to use Windows "crap" on a daily basis. I find it far easier to work in Linux.

[TommyDale]

"Munich expects that its own programmers will be able to provide most of the software."

Anyone who has ever worked with German code will get a good laugh at this one!

[ezo4]

the world of open source is huge. Most people dont even know whats out there. And there probably spending 10-50,000 to develop and implement something I can use/build for free and set up in less the 1/4 of the time.

Im doing it right now - ha ha ha - I dont miss MS at all

[alkaloid2]

Jeez, do you guys work for Microsoft or something?

Let's see, what do city workers use their computers for?

A) Municpal government software, purchased from a third party, who can port it relatively easily to Linux.

B) Surfing the web - Mozilla, Opera, KDE's browser - all free, and could be used to run the third party municpal software above, even if it was hosted on ONE Windows machine (one license as opposed to 14k licenses).

C) Word Processing, Spreadsheet, etc. - OpenOffice is free, and, believe it or not, people can learn new software - what did people use before MS took over everything? Lotus, Word Perfect, etc. There will be a transition period while people regain the same functionality, but it will happen.

D) Databases - mySQL - free.

Using their current staff of IT guys to program web-based apps instead of paying for licenses for 14k machines - free, as in they are already paying these guys.

You see that little thing up in your URL bar called www.freerepublic.com/PERL. ? Perl - free, doesn't stop working, rarely goes down, and you guys use a site that is chock full of free software!!!

I don't even know why they have a start up cost - there is no cost! None, as in zip, zero, nada - you just download the OS and software and load it on all the machines. How easy is that??? You can even use your MS servers while you are migrating, until you're ready to switch them too.

Anyway, you guys should open your minds a bit.

the Super Genius himself
http://www.thesupergenius.com

[Riley]

Sure. They did it out of the goodness of their hearts.

Last time I was at Linux World, IBM had a big presence there, and Novell bought SuSE Linux, which was a German company to begin with.

[Blueflag]

I'll bet you'll find the issue is the cost of MS upgrades, licenses and maintenance.

Look for a major US city to do the same thing as well.

For more information, look here -- http://download.openoffice.org/1.1.1/index.html

[JamminJAY]

Now, they must use crap

Plus they won't have the joy of the hundred ka-zillion viruses and trojan - back doors. Never forgetting having to re-boot every three days or so. And all the money they could have spent, web, er, exchange, mail servers and the added cost of a microsoft firewall to protect this investment.