07.22.09
Free Software and Google Bite Into Microsoft
Summary: A group of new reports that would prove scary to Microsoft and symbolise triumph of Free software and SaaS
• Edmonton considers divorcing Microsoft
“I told Microsoft I’m giving them their divorce papers,” says City of Edmonton CIO Chris Moore. The municipality’s IT department is considering walking away from Microsoft Corp. applications and investing in open source instead. It’s just one step in a major IT transformation, the CIO explains.
• Google Strikes Record-Breaking NZ/AUS Deal
For at least the next three years, Google will play a significant role in the delivery of New Zealanders’ mail. The Postal Services Group of New Zealand Post has entered an agreement that’ll have it putting Google Apps in front of 2,100 employees.
• The grand Google plan against the whole Microsoft stack
As Google’s blog notes, NeatX is an X Window implementation originally created by No Machine of Italy under the GPL in 2003. The No Machine business model included a proprietary server. NeatX is an open source alternative, also offered under GPL V2.
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This is the question Google must answer, at all levels of its stack. Functions must be balanced, between what’s on your desk, your lap, or in your hand, and what’s synced to the cloud. The cloud must also provide a host of software and services we presently assume will remain totally under our personal control. That control must be guaranteed.
• Murphy’s Law: A Tale of Open Source Cities (No Sims Included)
Let’s first consider the actual parameters of Vancouver’s motion, which calls for more than just switching from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.org. In it, the legislation defines three principle calls to action:
* Open and Accessible Data: the City of Vancouver will freely share with citizens, businesses and other jurisdictions the greatest amount of data possible while respecting privacy and security concerns;
* Open Standards: the City of Vancouver will move as quickly as possible to adopt prevailing open standards for data, documents, maps, and other formats of media;
* Open Source Software: the City of Vancouver, when replacing existing software or considering new applications, will place open source software on an equal footing with proprietary systems during procurement cycles.
