Linux Love Spells Bad News for MS http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200509/kt2005090517525811870.htm
By Kim Tae-gyu Spearheaded by the government, South Korea is making increased use of an open-source operating system called Linux. It is bad news for Microsoft, the world��s foremost software maker that dominates the operating system market with several versions of its Windows program. Early last month, the government selected a consortium, including Samsung SDS, to set up a new online school information system called the National Education Information System (NEIS). The decision means Linux becomes a major operating system for the large-scale state project, which will debut next March, because Samsung SDI proposed a Linux-based operating system. The alternative format will be installed on 2,331 NEIS servers, which will allow educational authorities to collect such private information as students�� names, dates of birth and graduation, as well as sharing them through a web-like network. Korea Post, the nation��s postal service agency, also announced late last month that it will begin adopting Linux to its desktop computers nationwide. In the first stage, Korea Post will install the Linux-based operating system on 4,748 PCs for customers in 2,800 branches across the country. Korea Post said cost is a major reason for the shift to Linux as the agency expects the replacement will save it 850 million won ($818,000) every year. The Ministry of Planning and Budget followed suit by revealing a scheme for launching 37 informatization projects next year with the open-source software. In addition, Korea has been cooperating on Linux with China and Japan to standardize the operating system in the three countries. The Korea IT Industry Promotion Agency (KIPA), which leads the nation��s efforts to embrace Linux, said the institute is leaning toward the new format to fulfill its aim of becoming a software powerhouse without being tied to a specific program. ``Unless we resort to open-source operating systems, we might be subjected to the dominance of a certain system like Windows series of Microsoft. That is the reason why we seek Linux,���� a KIPA official said. Linux, which was first developed by Finland computer guru Linus Torvalds, is a version of the Unix operating system and has become increasingly popular over the past few years. A large number of volunteer programmers around the world upgrade Linux almost continuously as the system can be adjusted by computer makers and other users to their own specifications. Affiliated with the Ministry of Information and Communication, the KIPA is now under the stewardship of Ko Hyun-jin, who took the reins of the state-backed institute in 2003. From 1999 to 2003 Ko was chief executive of Microsoft Korea, the software giant��s affiliate here that is conducting an arduous fight against Linux. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/hYOolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe send a blank mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bdlug/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
