You might find more info at their website (German): http://www.muenchen.de/rathaus/Stadtverwaltung/Direktorium/LiMux.html
2013/11/20 Chris R (GenGen) <[email protected]>: > Could not find a List of FOSS software used in the Limux Client (Images, > Adress-Management,etc.). > If someone has a LINK I would appreciate. > > > On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 12:08 PM, Chris R (GenGen) > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Nice! >> I really hope other learn from Munich and follow >> >> >> On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 8:13 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> Interesting article from TechRepublic: >>> >>> http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-munich-rejected-steve-ballmer-and-kicked-microsoft-out-of-the-city/?tag=nl.e098&s_cid=e098&ttag=e098&ftag=TRE126e25f >>> [1] >>> >>> HOW MUNICH REJECTED STEVE BALLMER AND KICKED MICROSOFT OUT OF THE >>> CITY >>> >>> By Nick Heath [2] >>> >>> 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 EUR10m, a claimcontested by Microsoft [3], 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. >>> >>> 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 [4]." 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. >>> >>> 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 p >>> >>> > migration and the >>> development of our LiMux client in parallel." Peter Hoffman >>> > >>> > Munich >>> chose to standardise p >>> 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." >>> >>> 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 [5], 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. >>> >>> 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 EUR774,000 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 >>> EUR200,000 more than porting them to a newer version of Windows. >>> >>> >>> Offsetting that is the estimated EUR6.8 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 organ >>> >>> > y." >>> Peter Hoffman >>> > >>> > One of the main complaints from Munich staff using >>> LiMux and OpenOffice is a >>> ibilities 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 EUR250 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 EUR60.6m, far more than the >>> EUR17m Microsoft claimed it would have cost to shift to Windows XP and a >>> newer version of Microsoft Office. >>> >>> 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 EUR23m to shift to LiMux and >>> OpenOffice. Munich says this is far less than the estimated EUR34m 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 EUR4.6m 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. >>> >>> >>> 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 EUR1.69m 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 EUR6.1m 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. >>> >>> 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 >>> >>> > the last level of support, Hofmann said, adding the >>> authority prizes the fr >>> 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. >>> >>> >>> 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." >>> >>> Links: >>> ------ >>> [1] >>> >>> http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-munich-rejected-steve-ballmer-and-kicked-microsoft-out-of-the-city/?tag=nl.e098&s_cid=e098&ttag=e098&ftag=TRE126e25f<http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-munich-rejected-steve-ballmer-and-kicked-microsoft-out-of-the-city/?tag=nl.e098&s_cid=e098&ttag=e098&ftag=TRE126e25f> >>> [2] >>> http://www.techrepublic.com/search/?q=nick%20heath >>> [3] >>> >>> http://www.zdnet.com/no-microsoft-open-source-software-really-is-cheaper-insists-munich-7000010918/ >>> [4] >>> >>> http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-07-13-microsoft-linux-munich_x.htm >>> [5] >>> >>> http://www.scribd.com/doc/122167337/Studie-OSS-Strategie-der-Stadt-Munchen-v1-0-Zusammenfassung >>> >> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
