Open source can halve costs for UK schools: report: UK schools could halve their IT costs if they switch to using open source software (OSS), according to a report by a government agency. The study of 48 schools, conducted by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta), found that the annual cost per PC for nearly all of the schools using OSS was less than that for schools using proprietary software. At the primary school level, costs for those using OSS were half those of non-OSS schools, while costs for secondary schools using OSS were 20 percent lower. "The use of open source operating systems for servers was generally seen as having a high level of relative advantage, having lower costs, superior reliability and greater ease of use than non-open-source systems," the report said. OSS was also found to reduce annual support costs by between 50 percent and 60 percent. The study also praised the merits of using dual-platform PCs, which allow users to switch between OSS and non-OSS systems and applications. The reports is available to download (PDF format) here.
Munich names suppliers for LiMux project: The German city of Munich has named the companies that will provide it with open source software (OSS) for its LiMux project. Under the initiative, the city council made a decision last year to migrate 14,000 desktop and laptop computers from Microsoft software to Linux. After an international call for tenders, the authorities have now named local firms Softcon and Gonicus as chosen suppliers for the implementation of the OSS. The two companies will create, configure and administer the software, and the migration project is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. Meanwhile, the city council has signed a deal with Novell to migrate servers to an open source solution. A long-time Novell customer, the city has opted to migrate many of its existing NetWare servers to Novell's Open Enterprise Server within the next few months. "As NetWare servers needed to be updated anyway, the decision to use Open Enterprise Server was a logical step as it enables us to combine the existing systems with the new Linux-based environment," said a City of Munich spokesperson.
BEA provides e-government solution for Basque region: The government of the Basque region in Spain has announced that it has deployed an e-government solution from BEA Systems. Software firm BEA Systems has provided the government with a platform, based on service-oriented architecture, which forms the basis for the provision of e-services -- including a web portal (www.euskadi.net) that will allow citizens and businesses to file tax returns, complete census forms and request official documents online. The new infrastructure is also designed to encourage information-sharing between government agencies; until now, each department had its own portal and dealt with citizen interactions separately, leading to duplication of effort, higher costs and multiple contact points for citizens. The new system also enables information to be exchanged between the Basque Administration and the Spanish State Administration and other organisations such as professional schools, business registers, notaries and chambers of commerce.
New Zealand launches digital strategy: New Zealand's IT minister has launched the government's "Digital Strategy", a plan aimed at ensuring that all New Zealanders benefit from information and communications technology (ICT). Information Technology Minister David Cunliffe said the government would provide almost NZD60 million (EUR33 million) through a Growth and Innovation Framework for the rollout of the strategy. Nearly NZD45 million in seed funding will be made available over four years for community and partnership initiatives, he said. Meanwhile, NZD24 million will be allocated to a fund called the Broadband Challenge, to encourage the rollout of affordable and competitive broadband. The strategy sets a goal that New Zealand will be in the top quarter of the OECD for broadband uptake by 2010. Funds will also be made available to support ICT productivity in businesses and the development of a cultural portal dedicated to New Zealand's creative sector.
Bahrain opens e-government centre: The Bahrain government has opened an IBM e-government centre, one of only four such facilities in the world. The centre was established at the Central Informatics Organisation (CIO) headquarters and was jointly developed by the CIO, IBM and Bahrain Business Machines (BBM). The centre's mission is to help Bahrain and other governments in the Middle East to develop and roll out e-government projects. Over the last two years, the CIO, IBM and Gulf Business Machines have collaborated on building an e-government infrastructure for Bahrain based on an open-standards platform. "The establishment of the centre will allow us to share our experience with other government organisations and enable them to access the latest open standards solutions they can use for their own e-government initiatives," said Sheikh Ahmed Ateyatalla Al Khalifa of the CIO. An IBM spokesperson said that the new centre would provide strategic resources and practical advice for teams working in the public sector across the Middle East.
Autor: Sylvia Leatham
Quelle: ElectricNews, 18.05.2005
