Please don't apologize. Freedom is not about being anti-Microsoft. It's about being free. I get it. Thanks for sharing :) Respect to Munich.
/mario On 23 Nov 13, at 01:06, Frantisek Apfelbeck wrote: > I can not resist and not to share this email from sf-lug. > > Many thanks! > > Frantisek Algoldor Apfelbeck > > > -------- Original Message -------- > > Subject: [Linux-ME] How Munich rejected Steve Ballmer and kicked > > Microsoft out of the city > > Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 22:02:47 +0400 > > Reply-To: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > > > Breaking up with Microsoft is hard to do. Just ask Peter Hofmann, the man > > leading the City of Munich's project to ditch Windows and Office in favour > > of open source alternatives. > > > > The project took close to a decade to complete, has seen the city wrestle > > with legal uncertainties and earned Munich a visit from Microsoft CEO Steve > > Ballmer, whose pleas to the mayor of Germany's third largest city not to > > switch fell on deaf ears. > > > > Munich says the move to open source has saved it more than €10m, a > > claimcontested > > by > > Microsoft<http://www.zdnet.com/no-microsoft-open-source-software-really-is-cheaper-insists-munich-7000010918/>, > > yet Hofmann says the point of making the switch was never about money, but > > about freedom. > > > > "If you are only doing a migration because you think it saves you money > > there's always somebody who tells you afterwards that you didn't calculate > > it properly," he said. > > > > "Our main goal was to become independent." Peter Hoffman, project lead > > > > "That was the experience of a lot of open source-based projects that have > > failed," Hofmann noted. They were only cost-driven and when the > > organisation got more money or somebody else said 'The costs are wrong' > > then the main reason for doing it had broken away. That was never the main > > goal within the City of Munich. Our main goal was to become independent." > > > > Munich is used to forging its own path. The city runs its own schools and > > is one of the few socialist, rather than conservative governments, in > > Bavaria. > > [image: Peter Hofmann speaks in Berlin] > > Peter Hofmann speaks about Munich's open source migration at the Linux Tag > > conference in Berlin. > > Image: Stefan Krempl > > > > Becoming independent meant Munich freeing itself from closed, proprietary > > software, more specifically the Microsoft Windows NT operating system and > > the Microsoft Office suite, and a host of other locked-down technologies > > the city relied on in 2002. > > > > The decision to ditch Microsoft was also born of necessity. In 2002 the > > council knew official support for Windows NT, the OS used on 14,000 staff > > machines at the council, would soon run out. The council ordered a study of > > the merits of switching to XP and Office versus a GNU/Linux OS, OpenOffice > > and other free software. > > > > As well as being tied to Windows upgrades, Munich faced becoming more > > tightly locked into the Microsoft ecosystem with each passing year, Hofmann > > said. > > > > "Windows has developed from a pure PC-centred operating system, like > > Windows 3.11 was, to a whole infrastructure. If you're staying with > > Microsoft you're getting more and more overwhelmed to update and change > > your whole IT infrastructure [to fit with Microsoft]," according to > > Hofmann, whether that be introducing a Microsoft Active Directory system or > > running a key management server. > > > > "If you're staying with Microsoft you're getting more and more overwhelmed > > to update and change your whole IT infrastructure." Peter Hoffman > > > > Free software was ruled the better choice by Munich's ruling body, > > principally because it would free the council from dependence on any one > > vendor and future-proof the council's technology stack via open protocols, > > interfaces and data formats. > > > > The prospect of such a high profile loss, and other organisations following > > Munich's lead, spurred Microsoft to mount a last ditch campaign to win the > > authority back. A senior sales executive at the time told general managers > > in EMEA "under NO circumstances lose against > > Linux<http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-07-13-microsoft-linux-munich_x.htm>." > > Steve Ballmer himself took time out of a skiing holiday to make a revised > > offer in March 2003, followed two months later by Microsoft knocking > > millions of Euros off the price of sticking with Windows and Office. > > > > The lobbying failed to change Munich's mind, and in June 2004 the council > > gave the go-ahead to begin the migration from NT and Office 97/2000 to a > > Linux-based OS, a custom-version of OpenOffice, as well as a variety of > > free software, such as the Mozilla Firefox browser, Mozilla Thunderbird > > e-mail client and the Gimp photo editing software. It became known as the > > LiMux project, after the name for the custom Linux OS the council was > > rolling out. > > Making sense of the IT zoo > > > > Nine years is a long time for a desktop migration by anyone's standards, > > but the LiMux project was always going to be more than a simple transition. > > [image: Microsoft's Steve Ballmer] > > Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer came to Munich and made the case for sticking > > with Microsoft software. > > Image: James Martin/CNET > > > > Originally planned as a soft roll out that would be complete by 2011, the > > project was extended when it became clear that the migration to free > > software would be more challenging than first thought. > > > > The complexity came down to the way IT was managed at Munich: twenty two > > different units handling IT for different parts of the council and each > > with differences in the Windows clients and other software they used, > > varying patch levels and no common directory, user, system or hardware > > management. > > > > "[The council] had 22 different units with their own IT, with totally > > different kinds of systems for the networking, operating and user > > directories. It was all a big zoo,” said Hofmann, adding there was no > > detailed overview of the hardware each user relied upon or the software > > they needed to do their job. > > > > Without a clear picture of its IT estate, Munich found it was taking too > > long to deal with unexpected problems thrown up when rolling out LiMux. > > > > "If you set up an old PC with the new system you'd start recognising > > 'Whoops, that isn't there or there's hardware that needs to be > > reconfigured' and at that stage that's clearly too late. You have to know > > what's going on before you roll it out." > > > > "We planned a slow migration, carrying out the migration and the > > development of our LiMux client in parallel." Peter Hoffman > > > > Munich chose to standardise processes for capturing each department's > > infrastructure and requirements and for testing and release management, at > > the cost of adding several years to the project's completion date. > > > > "That took a large amount of time to get over these heterogeneous systems," > > said Hofmann. > > > > A single unit was put in charge of maintaining and supporting the LiMux > > client, as well as implementing and providing common tools for user and > > system management. > > > > The nature of the project had changed, from a desktop migration to cleaning > > up much of Munich's IT infrastructure and the way it was managed – a move > > in keeping with the council's motto for the project: "Quality over time". > > > > In spite of the delay in completing the project, Hofmann said the authority > > had always planned to take its time. > > > > "We never planned to carry out a big bang migration. From the start we > > planned a slow migration, carrying out the migration and the development of > > our LiMux client in parallel." > > [image: LiMux logo] > > Munich focused on The IT Evolution as the logo for its custom Linux > > platform. > > > > The time taken to complete the project is one of many reasons that > > Microsoft has attacked Munich's move to LiMux. Areport criticising the > > project<http://www.scribd.com/doc/122167337/Studie-OSS-Strategie-der-Stadt-Munchen-v1-0-Zusammenfassung>, > > produced by HP for Microsoft, claimed the Redmond software giant could > > migrate 50 to 500 desktop PCs per day if upgrading to a Microsoft OS and > > office, suite compared to the eight per day it said was being achieved > > under the LiMux project. > > > > However, by Hofmann's reckoning, that slow and steady migration is one of > > the reasons the project has largely managed to stay within its budget with > > minimal disruption. The project finished within budget in October 2013, > > with more than 14,800 staff migrated to using Limux and more than 15,000 to > > OpenOffice. > > Retooling for Linux > > > > A myriad technical challenges emerged as Munich tried to reconfigure an > > infrastructure littered with proprietary formats and protocols to play > > nicely with LiMux and free software. > > > > Large chunks of the software used by the council were built using Microsoft > > technologies. For example, a sizeable proportion of Microsoft Office macros > > were written in Microsoft's programming language Visual Basic, while other > > departments were tied to Internet Explorer by a dependence on ActiveX. This > > preponderance of lock-in interfaces was described as "awful" in 2010 by > > then deputy head of the LiMux project Florian Schiessl. > > [image: LiMux screenshot] > > This screenshot of LiMux shows the major customization that Munich has done > > to Ubuntu. > > > > As would be expected, the council has had to shell out a chunk of change on > > getting applications to work on LiMux – a custom-build of the Ubuntu flavor > > of Linux – some €774,000 as of last year. > > > > At the time the migration started, the council used about 300 common office > > software programs, such as web browsers and e-mail clients, and 170 > > specialised apps tailored to different roles performed by the council. > > These specialised apps ranged from large-scale IT systems down to macros > > and templates linked to Microsoft Office. > > > > Understandably, migrating these apps to run on the LiMux OS is one of the > > areas where choosing LiMux over Windows cost Munich, with the work on > > migrating apps to LiMux costing €200,000 more than porting them to a newer > > version of Windows. > > > > Offsetting that is the estimated €6.8 million savings the council says it > > had made as of last year from not having to licence a new Microsoft OS and > > office suite. > > > > The lion's share of Munich's applications, about 90 per cent, are > > accessible via LiMux. Most have been ported, while others are running as > > web apps, inside virtualised containers or via terminal servers. > > > > A small number of apps have proven impossible to port, make accessible or > > switch away from – particularly software whose use is mandated by the > > German government – and have to be run directly on Windows machines. > > > > While the council has weaned itself off the majority of Microsoft > > technologies, Munich still experiences friction where it rubs against > > proprietary software in widespread use elsewhere. > > > > "We thought from the start we would have other organisations follow us but > > it's really not easy." Peter Hoffman > > > > One of the main complaints from Munich staff using LiMux and OpenOffice is > > about incompatibilities with Microsoft Office. Documents, spreadsheets and > > other files display some fonts, pictures and layouts differently in > > OpenOffice than in Microsoft Office, and changes to some documents are not > > properly logged. > > > > Munich hopes to ease some of these problems by moving all its OpenOffice > > users to LibreOffice, a process which will get underway at the end of this > > year. Munich has worked with other users of LibreOffice, including > > authorities in the German city of Freiburg and the Austrian capital Vienna, > > to pay for updates to LibreOffice that should improve interoperability with > > Microsoft's office suite. > > > > The complexity of moving from proprietary software after years of being a > > Microsoft shop might explain why more organisations haven't followed in > > Munich's footsteps, and why some, like the German municipality of Freiburg, > > have given up on their own shift to open source. Last year Freiburg > > scrapped plans to move to OpenOffice claiming it would have cost up to €250 > > per seat to resolve interoperability issues. > > > > "We thought from the start we would have other organisations follow us but > > it's really not easy," said Hofmann. > > Cost > > > > Hofmann's warning against justifying the jump to free software on cost > > alone seems well-grounded given how hotly Microsoft has contested costings > > for the programme. > > > > Microsoft claims that, by its estimation, the LiMux project would have cost > > considerably more than Munich has said. The HP report for Microsoft put the > > project's price at €60.6m, far more than the €17m Microsoft claimed it > > would have cost to shift to Windows XP and a newer version of Microsoft > > Office. > > [image: LiMux migration timeline] > > > > Munich stands by its assertion that it has cost the council less to drop > > Microsoft than it would have to have stuck with it, and says Microsoft's > > figures are based on bogus assumptions. > > > > The final cost will be released at the end of 2013, but in August 2013 > > Munich said it had cost €23m to shift to LiMux and OpenOffice. Munich says > > this is far less than the estimated €34m it said it would have cost to > > upgrade to Windows 7 and newer versions of Microsoft Office. > > > > Where does the truth lie? Well Munich makes a good case for why much of the > > work carried out during the LiMux project would have been necessary if the > > council had decided to opt for a newer version of Windows, and how it has > > saved money on top. > > > > By choosing to swap to LiMux and OpenOffice Munich was able to keep using > > its old PCs for longer, something that Hofmann said would not have been > > possible if it had chosen some of the recent versions of Microsoft Office > > and Windows 7. > > > > Extending the lifespan of its PCs in this way had saved the council some > > €4.6m as of last year, according to its official figures. > > > > And by Munich's reckoning, the same standardisation of the council's tech > > infrastructure and administration would have eventually been necessary > > whatever the OS and office suite chosen, said Hofmann. > > [image: LiMux workstations chart] > > > > Training thousands of the council's staff to use a new OS and software is > > another area where Munich believes the council would have faced equivalent > > costs for both Microsoft and LiMux – claiming it would have set them back > > €1.69m regardless of the system. > > > > "If we would have switched to Microsoft Office, the costs for the > > e-learning platform would have been the same, and the new GUI for MS Office > > would have required the same amount of training," said Hofmann. > > > > "[In fact] the GUI in OpenOffice is much more like MS Office 2000 than the > > new MS Office GUI." > > > > Similarly the €6.1m bill for personnel to oversee the migration process > > would have remained the same regardless of whether the council moved to > > LiMux or a future Windows OS, in Munich's estimation. Currently up to 18 > > people work at any one time work on development and maintenance tasks > > relating to the operating system and office software for LiMux and Windows. > > Freedom to work > > > > While many businesses might balk at the thought of not having a support > > contract to pick up the pieces when their OS and office software goes > > wrong, Munich feels far from adrift, said Hofmann. > > [image: Munich's Victory Gate] > > Victory Gate is a symbol of the City of Munich. Its Linux migration > > declared victory in October 2013. > > Image: iStockphoto/tzeiler > > > > A team of just 25 people at Munich develop, roll out and provide final > > support for the Ubuntu-based LiMux client. A larger number of people look > > after the everyday administration of the city's PCs but far fewer than the > > 1,000 people cited in the Microsoft/HP report as implementing the LiMux > > project. > > > > The authority doesn't have a support deal for the LiMux client, but instead > > handles support itself with the help of various free software communities, > > such as those supporting Ubuntu, KDE, LibreOffice and OpenOffice. > > > > "We are using the community way of support," said Hofmann. "We are finding > > it to be effective, mostly." > > > > The model is allowing the council to help develop the software it uses in > > order that it better suit its needs. > > > > "If you're only a customer with a support contract, it doesn't give you the > > ability to change how things are put into Ubuntu or LibreOffice," said > > Hofmann. > > > > "That becomes more possible when you work with the community." > > > > "We are using the community way of support." Peter Hoffman > > > > The same staff who develop LiMux are also responsible for the last level of > > support, Hofmann said, adding the authority prizes the freedom it has to > > work out how to resolve problems on its own. > > > > "We had an issue with OpenOffice in the past and a support contract > > wouldn't have helped us because nobody else has this sort of problem, so we > > would have had the choice to live with it or forget about it," said Hofmann. > > > > Instead Munich paid a company to resolve the issue for them, and put the > > patch upstream. > > > > "The only downside is there's no-one to blame when things do go wrong, but > > what's the advantage of that?" Hofmann said. > > What does the future hold? > > > > Now that the migration to LiMux is complete, Munich plans to continue > > developing LiMux (the next version is due out in summer 2014) and continue > > to incorporate changes made to the Ubuntu LTS release it's based upon. The > > authority will also continue to identify opportunities to migrate other > > apps to run on the LiMux client so it can further reduce its Microsoft > > footprint. > > [image: Picturesque Munich] > > Picturesque Munich is regularly ranked as one of the world's most liveable > > cities. > > Image: iStockphoto/Björn Kindler > > > > > > Now that Munich is on a path to freeing itself from proprietary ties, > > Hofmann says he sees no compelling reason for the authority to ever go back. > > > > "We saw from the start that if you're only relying on one contributor to > > supply your operating system, your office system and your infrastructure, > > you're stuck with it. You have to do what your contributor tells you to. If > > they say 'There's no longer support for your office version', you have to > > buy and implement a new one. You're no longer able to make those kinds of > > decisions by yourself." > > > > He is hopeful that Munich will show other large organisations that it is > > possible to make the jump to free software and, while it is a difficult and > > time-consuming process, making it happen doesn't mean shutting down your IT. > > > > "It's the best thing you can do. I've been asked 'How come you say you're > > up and running when Microsoft says you're already dead'," he said. > > > > Hofmann's response: "It is possible to do an open source migration and > > still have the citizens not left alone. We're far from being dead." > > > > http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-munich-rejected-steve-ballmer-and-kicked-microsoft-out-of-the-city/?tag=nl.e101&s_cid=e101&ttag=e101&ftag=TRE684d531 > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > sf-lug mailing list > [email protected] > http://linuxmafia.com/mailman/listinfo/sf-lug > Information about SF-LUG is at http://www.sf-lug.org/ > > > _______________________________________________ > Brmlab mailing list > [email protected] > http://brmlab.cz/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/brmlab
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