[plug] [link] This morning's feelgood: German Town Dumps Microsoft for Linux

[Leon Brooks]

    http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03242003/monday/41107.asp

    Schwaebisch Hall has jumped to the front of a growing technology
    movement by replacing Microsoft software on all city computers with
    open-source applications based on the free, unproprietary Linux
    operating system.

    It is the first city in the world to do that, local officials claim,
    saying the switch will save money, improve security and break their
    dependence on just one supplier.

    Companies such as Deutsche Telekom and 7-Eleven, along with
    government agencies in Germany, France, the United States and other
    countries, are increasingly relying on open-source software for
    heavy data lifting, mostly on servers that do Internet and database
    work.

    But Schwaebisch Hall's decision to adopt it for everything
    represents a breakthrough, said SuSE, Germany's leading Linux
    distributor, which swung the deal to help them switch.

...and wrapped up with this little misleading part-truth:

    Microsoft Germany spokesman Thomas Baumgaertner insists open-source
    can get more expensive in the long run because of training costs
    and add-ons such as administrative software for updates.

To which I say, yes, it can. But it very, very rarely does.

Cheers; Leon