Microsoft seals deal with final Scottish police force
View at Scotsman.com
MICROSOFT'S grip on a key sector of public service contracts in Scotland was completed yesterday when Central Scotland Police announced that it was choosing the firm's software over its current clients, Linux and StarOffice.
MICROSOFT'S grip on a key sector of public service contracts in Scotland was completed yesterday when Central Scotland Police announced that it was choosing the firm's software over its current clients, Linux and StarOffice.
With so many government bodies already using Microsoft applications, it is easy to see why The Central Scotland force has had to move to the proprietary system.
ReplyDeleteWith the government demanding inter-operability, it would make better sense to move everyone else to Open Souse, but alas it is not to be .... yet.
As the Open Source community develops at an ever greater pace it is only a matter of time before the functionality and interoperability of Open Source with Microsoft is no longer an issue. But, until then, unless a very brave government makes a policy of implementing Open Source across the board, Microsoft’s monopoly position is set to remain – on the desktop.
However, on the server and in embedded systems, Linux is gaining a pace. Where systems do not need application level interoperability, for example file serving, email, voice and data communications etc. Linux is able to compete well and is successfully taking market share from Microsoft.
Linux is the operating system of choice on the Internet, with Apache as the main web server solution. Apache continues its year on year growth over Microsoft, with near two and half times as many sites. So Linux is a major force in the server world, the desktop is not making real headway.
Do I suggest that the developers of the Linux desktop should abandon their work and leave the market to Redmond, no I do not. Without the Linux desktop there would be no one to choose from. Linux may not have the interoperability – yet – but it is forcing Microsoft to compete in area such as security and price. In both these area Linux is willing hands down, despite Microsoft’s claims to the contrary.
Linux is loosing in a few key areas, the secret file format of Word, the functionality and interoperability of exchange, plus the amount of software only written for Windows.
The only way Linux will eventually take the market is by working on replacing Windows through interoperability, not by taking Microsoft on head to head. When a user can choose, shall I go Windows with this PC or Linux, without worrying about whether it will work in his network, then Linux has won.