[kictanet] UK government plans switch from Microsoft Office to open source

[S.M. Muraya]

Evans,

Was wondering when you would post the article :)

Apparently, for over 10 years now, the UK Gov has tried and failed make
users accept FOSS.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/29/5356982/uk-goverment-threatens-to-ditch-microsoft-office-again

Loss of productivity is a vital consideration in some nations. Maybe Open
Office needs to improve?

Regards

Murigi / Stanley Muraya

*"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one
who takes a city." Prov 16:32*


On Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 9:43 AM, Evans Ikua <ikua.evans at gmail.com> wrote:

>  *"Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude plans to standardise on open
> formats to cut costs on Office suite and break 'oligopoly' of IT suppliers"*<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/29/uk-government-plans-switch-to-open-source-from-microsoft-office-suite>
>  Maude will add: "Technical standards for document formats may not sound
> like the first shot in a revolution.
>
> "But be in no doubt: the adoption of compulsory standards in government
> threatens to break open Whitehall's lock-in to proprietary formats. In turn
> we will open the door for a host of other software providers." Maude will
> also hail changes designed to increase the number of small and medium-sized
> companies (SMEs) winning public sector contracts.
> "In the civil service there was a sense that if you hired a big
> multi-national, who everyone knew the name of, you'd never be fired.
>
> "We weren't just missing out on innovation, we were paying top dollar for
> yesterday's technology.
>
> "One great example of the potential from small businesses was when we
> re-tendered a hosting contract.
>
> "The incumbent big supplier bid £4m; a UK-based small business offered to
> do it for £60,000.
>
> "We saved taxpayers a whopping 98.5%. I don't think we can make savings of
> that scale everywhere but hard-working people expect us to try as hard as
> we possibly can."
>
> Read More<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/29/uk-government-plans-switch-to-open-source-from-microsoft-office-suite>
>
> *The writing is on the wall.*
> --
>
>
> *----------------------------------------------------Kind Regards,Evans
> Ikua,*
> lanetconsulting.com,
> lpi-eastafrica.org,
> Skype: evans.ikua
> Twitter: @ikuae
> Cell: +254-722-955831
>
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