Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 298
Phatal Offline OP
UGN News Staff
OP Offline
UGN News Staff
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 298
JUNE 18, 2004 (REUTERS) - France's cash-strapped government is giving alternative software firms the chance to win state business in a pioneering drive to challenge U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. in the public sector.
Civil Service Minister Renaud Dutreil told Reuters that France wants to use open-source software providers to resupply part of the almost 1 million state computers under a government cost-cutting drive designed to trim a bulging public deficit.

"We are not starting a war against Microsoft, or against American companies in the software sector," Dutreil said in an interview. But Microsoft "must return to being one supplier to the state among others."

"The competition is open," he said. "My estimate is that we can cut the state software bill at least in half."

At stake, in the case of office suite software alone, is about $362.5 million worth of software to be introduced to state computers over three years. Savings on operating systems could be of a similar amount, officials said.

France's conservative government is trying to cut costs as it seeks to rein in a public-sector deficit that is set to bust the European Union limit of 3% of gross domestic product in 2004 for the third year running.

The use of open-source software such as Linux, OpenOffice, Mozilla, Apache, MySQL and Evolution is "very credible," Dutreil said.

Microsoft, which is appealing a European Union fine for breaching antitrust law, said it would try to show the French government it could offer software at a competitive price. "In fact, open-source software is not free. It is very expensive because it shifts the cost to maintenance, services, integration and training," said Microsoft France CEO Christophe Aulnette.

Open-source software suppliers welcomed the news.

"This decision will allow us to increase our presence in France," said Jacques Le Marois, president of the French open-source software company MandrakeSoft SA. "This will also help us sell our solutions to other governments."

Marois said he believes the German, Israeli and Malaysian governments also envision moving to open-source software.

France's culture, agriculture and finance ministries have already signed deals with MandrakeSoft, the company said.

You can view the original article here...
http://computerworld.com/softwaretopics/software/s...46,00.html?from=homeheads

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 209
Member
Offline
Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 209
w00t! Go France!


Those who say do not know.
Those who know do not say.

Link Copied to Clipboard
Member Spotlight
Phatal
Phatal
Houston, TX
Posts: 298
Joined: April 2004
Forum Statistics
Forums41
Topics33,840
Posts68,858
Average Daily Posts1
Members2,176
Most Online3,253
Jan 13th, 2020
Latest Postings
Where and how do you torrent?
by danni75 - 03/01/24 05:58 AM
Animation,
by JohanKaariainen - 08/15/19 01:18 AM
Blackbeard.....
by Gremelin - 10/03/18 07:02 PM
my old account still exists!
by Crime - 08/10/18 02:47 PM
Okay WTF?
by HenryMiring - 09/27/17 01:45 AM
The History Thread...
by Gremelin - 08/11/17 12:11 PM
My friend NEEDS your HELP!
by Lena01 - 07/21/17 12:06 AM
I'm having fun with this guy.
by gabithompson730 - 07/20/17 01:50 AM
I want to upgrade my phone
by gabithompson730 - 07/20/17 01:49 AM
Doom 3
by Cyrez - 09/11/14 08:58 PM
Amazon Gift Card Generator/KeyGen?te
by Gecko666 - 08/22/14 09:21 AM
AIM scene 99-03
by lavos - 09/02/13 08:06 AM
Planetside 2
by Crime - 03/04/13 07:10 AM
Beta Testers Wanted
by Crime - 03/04/13 06:55 AM
Hello Everyone
by Gremelin - 02/12/12 06:01 PM
Tracfone ESN Generator
by Zanvin Green - 01/18/12 01:31 PM
Python 3 issue
by Testing - 12/17/11 09:28 PM
tracfone airtime
by Drache86 - 07/30/11 03:37 AM
Backdoors and the Infinite
by ZeroCoolStar - 07/10/11 03:52 AM
HackThisZIne #12 Releaseed!
by Pipat2 - 04/28/11 09:20 PM
gang wars? l33t-wars?
by Gremelin - 04/28/11 05:56 AM
Consolidate Forums
by diggin2deep - 04/21/11 10:02 AM
LAN Hacking Noob
by Gremelin - 03/12/11 12:42 AM
Top Posters
UGN Security 41,392
Gremelin 7,203
§intå× 3,255
SilentRage 1,273
Ice 1,146
pergesu 1,136
Infinite 1,041
jonconley 955
Girlie 908
unreal 860
Top Likes Received
Ghost 2
Cyrez 1
Girlie 1
unreal 1
Crime 1
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5