[plug] Norwegian Gov Ditches MS Contract, rumbles about Open Source

[Leon Brooks]

`Out of the modem / the packets rip / another one bites the dust!' (-:

Straight from the translator's mouth:

    http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2002-07-12-012-26-NW-BZ-MS-0005

    Press release
    No.: 43/2002
    Date: 12.07.02
    Contact person: Senior advisor Kai-Ove Nauen, t. 2224 4964

    Increased competition for software in the public sector

    To stimulate the use of open source software in public administration,
    the Minister of Labor and Public Administration Mr. Victor D. Norman
    has decided not to enter into a new Select 5.0 agreement with
    Microsoft Norway through the Adminnet cooperation.

    Via the Adminnet system, government bodies on all levels from State
    to municipal have a Select 5.0-agreement with Microsoft Norway that
    is valid until November 30, 2002.

    This agreement gives public bodies the possibility to buy Microsoft
    software at lowered prices.

    The use of Microsoft software is very extensive in public
    administration,and for some product areas there is very nearly a
    monopoly situation with market shares approaching 95%.

    The use of open source software, e.g. Linux, may stimulate
    competition and reduce an unwanted segmentation in parts of the
    IT and communications market. To help make open source software a
    real alternative for public bodies, the Adminnet cooperation will
    not enter into a new Select 5.0-agreement with Microsoft Norway,
    says Minister Norman.

    In the IT/communication strategy for public sector that will be
    published this fall, further actions will be presented that will
    promote the use of open source software in public bodies.

I wonder if they'll change their minds when M$ offer it to them again 
essentially for free, as they've done elsewhere? Do they have this in mind? 
It's certainly a stunning answer to `Licencing V6'... (-:

The Register's take:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/26172.html

The Seattle Post Intelligencer's take, ta Google:

    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/78319_norway12ww.shtml

Cheers; Leon