Resistance to Microsoft

Fear of a Linux planet

02-May: Peruvian activism (Villanueva)
villanueva's letter

To guarantee the permanence of public data, it is necessary that the usability and maintenance of the software does not depend on the goodwill of the suppliers, or on the monopoly conditions imposed by them. For this reason the State needs systems the development of which can be guaranteed due to the availability of the source code.

To guarantee national security or the security of the State, it is indispensable to be able to rely on systems without elements which allow control from a distance or the undesired transmission of information to third parties. Systems with source code freely accessible to the public are required to allow their inspection by the State itself, by the citizens, and by a large number of independent experts throughout the world. Our proposal brings further security, since the knowledge of the source code will eliminate the growing number of programs with *spy code*.

02-Jul Wired: Norway says no way to Microsoft

The government says it will not renew a contract with the U.S. software giant though it means losing discounts of up to 20 percent on public sector buys that amounted to roughly $27.8 million last year.

In announcing the decision, Norway's minister of labor and government administration said he wanted to make it easier for other software companies to compete for public agency business.

"The use of open source codes, such as Linux, could promote competition," said the minister, Victor D. Norman, who announced the decision Friday.

02-Jul Wired: EU wanrs Microsoft on new plan

WASHINGTON -- Microsoft should be careful that its new software security plan doesn't shut out competitors, the European Union's new antitrust enforcer said Monday.

Microsoft's new security product, called Palladium, would use Microsoft's Windows operating system and custom computer chips to encrypt data, like documents or music files, so that only the intended recipient could use them.

That has raised questions among technologists and consumer advocates, who wonder whether a file encrypted using Palladium would be accessible on computers running Apple's Macintosh operating systems or the free Linux operating system.

The PC maker next month will introduce n-Series corporate desktop and workstations that ship without Microsoft's Windows, or any other operating system, pre-installed.

The new desktops appear to be a slick interpretation of Microsoft's new licensing terms and a way to navigate customer demand for PCs without an OS installed. The Microsoft licensing terms, which were put in place on Aug. 1, specify that PC makers must ship PCs with an operating system. The new policy exists to prevent piracy and to better track OS shipments.

With the n-Series, Dell will include a copy of a free operating system--FreeDOS--inside the cardboard box. However, the OS will not be pre-installed, so customers will not have to worry about reconfiguring their machines should they want to use a different product.

Microsoft Corp yesterday denied accusations it was engaging in unfair competitive practices after senior executives from the US-based software giant were interviewed by the Fair Trade Commission.

The Cabinet-level commission established a task force in early May to investigate whether Microsoft was abusing its dominant position in the software market with its rigid contractual conditions for sales agents.
02-Oct IDG: MS/DOJ: Class action status sought for consumer suits

A FEDERAL judge in Baltimore heard arguments Tuesday on whether more than 100 antitrust suits filed by consumers against Microsoft should be grouped together as a class action suit.

In a motion hearing before Judge Frederick Motz of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, lawyers Stanley Chesley and Michael Hausfeld argued on behalf of the plaintiffs in favor of class certification of the suits. The consumers' key argument is that Microsoft overcharged for its Windows operating system and violated competition laws in an effort to protect the monopoly status Windows enjoys in the consumer market.

Motz will consider the arguments and rule in due course, a clerk for Motz said.

02-Nov Silicon.com: Linux claims dual victory over Microsoft

Open-source software gave Microsoft a one-two punch this week, with the European Union and an African non-profit educational organisation showing preference for Linux systems.

Late last week the European Union awarded a E250,000 contract to UK-based system-integrator Netproject to study the feasibility of moving the information systems of several member countries' governments to the Linux operating system from Microsoft's Windows OS.

Microsoft's expensive licensing terms and its push for customers to speed their software upgrade cycles are driving the European Union's interest in open-source solutions, said Eddie Bleasdale, CEO of Netproject.

Describing a meeting with representatives from several EU member countries, Bleasdale said Microsoft's current licensing terms had governments looking for other options.

"Everybody in the room said that they could not deal with the cost of moving to Microsoft's latest products," Bleasdale said.

Adding insult to injury, SchoolNet Namibia, an organisation providing computing resources to the African country, has turned down a Microsoft offer to put Windows systems in their schools and decided to stay with its Linux systems. In a very public letter, the organisation lambasted Microsoft for a plan that would give the schools a $2,000 break on Office software but make them pay $9,000 for Windows XP.

Joris Kamen, founding executive director for SchoolNet Namibia, stated in a letter to Microsoft's East and South Africa regional manager: "The real issue for schools is not the cost of proprietary software licensing, but the challenges and costs of deployment, maintenance and skilled human resources. Conventional Microsoft products have rapid product cycles and quick obsolescence, along with expensive long-term maintenance and support implications."