Cheap and secure: Europe's open-source option
By Stephanie Kirchgaessner and Ben Hunt
Alarm bells rang at Microsoft headquarters when executives got wind that the information technology department of the West Yorkshire Police Department in northern England was considering replacing Windows with Linux.
Microsoft even placed a concerned call to its UK office to ask about the software preferences of the 7,500-strong police force.
The software group cannot deny that a threat is looming in Europe and Asia. The European Commission is encouraging government agencies to consider adopting open-source environments and Linux is increasingly being touted as the more secure and less costly alternative.
Adopting Linux could also stimulate the growth of a new era of local software groups - keeping the billions of euros and pounds that are spent on technology every year by European governments and companies inside the region, instead of in the pocket of an American monopoly.
Even worse for Microsoft, Europe's fledgling interest in Linux does not compare to the fervour for open-source software in India and China, the fastest-growing markets in the world. Could India's software developers succeed where the US government failed, in denting Microsoft's armour?
Apparently, Bill Gates thinks so. Mr Gates went on a tour of India last year and donated $400m to Indian education and software development projects that will probably support Microsoft's online services. The visit and investment, however, are not likely to be enough to damp Indian techies' enthusiasm for open-source software.
China, too, is betting on Linux to raise its prominence. The country has sharply increased its use of open-source-based servers and desktops over the past two years.
Although Linux has been slower to catch on in Europe, the drive to end dependence on the US for technology is a common but seldom admitted justification in every country exploring the technology. Graham Taylor, programme director for Open Forum Europe, a non-profit business that aims to accelerate the adoption of open-source, says the software will make it easier for small companies to set up with few constraints.
"Germany is promoting open-source proactively and there has been legislation to support it. [It sees it as] the chance to move the European technology industry forward. This is not about protectionism but extending choice and adopting open-source enhances companies' ability to operate across national boundaries," he said.
Indeed, Germany is the most active advocate and user of open-source software in Europe, with about 50 city councils across the country using Linux in parts of their infrastructure. The small southern German town of Schwabisch Hall, for instance, opted for Linux over Windows for its infrastructure. Hermann-Josef Pelgrim, Schwabisch Hall's mayor, says Linux is not only cheaper but also more secure than the alternatives. He adds: "the choice of open standards ensures interoperability among different technical offerings."
The UK, one of the slowest countries to adopt open-source - partly because of close ties with Microsoft - last year published a paper offering guidance to government departments considering switching to open-source software. And the Office for Government Commerce, which had previously persuaded department heads to buy software from Microsoft in an initiative that saved taxpayers £100m ($150m), has become an active open-source advocate.
The OGC says it changed its policy because it recognised that open-source is cheaper. "OGC is now constantly saying [to departments]: you have to look at what's best for you . . . and of course it's easier to develop open-source," says the OGC.
For many users the software question simply comes down to money. To Paul Friday, head of IT for the West Yorkshire Police, using Linux is not a statement against Microsoft but a way to save money. "No one has ever worked out what it really costs [to run Windows]. There was never a real alternative; you just did it."
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