Munich and other cities pick Linux over Windows

I follow this kind of news item because I think that it is only logical for non-U.S. governments to try to avoid IT dependence on the foremost example of a U.S. corporate monopoly. Particularly one that habitually violates the spirit and letter of antitrust laws. So the movement towards Linux in foreign countries is something I expect, and I like to check whether my expectations are being borne out.

Munich, the city whose switch to Linux was seen as so significant it attracted a personal visit from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, has announced that its yearlong trial is a success and that it will stick with open source for its PCs. ... Earlier this week, Norway's second-largest city, Bergen, announced it would be following in Munich's footsteps and opting to run Linux.>[News.com, thanks to MacInTouch]

Comments

[Justin Mason]

Hey Gary --

mind you, I'd say a lot of these guys are just looking for ways to get a better deal from the local MS office. ;)

"Computer skills" -- ie. working with MS Office -- is now part of the curriculum in many places and ingrained in many organisations. Hell, even the Irish *e-voting system* was to count its votes in an MS Access database!