From: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org (idealcopy-digest) To: idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Subject: idealcopy-digest V10 #47 Reply-To: idealcopy@smoe.org Sender: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk idealcopy-digest Friday, March 16 2007 Volume 10 : Number 047 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [idealcopy] One to gladden Ari's heart ["Clements, Bruno - BUP" Subject: [idealcopy] One to gladden Ari's heart Who needs Bill Gates anyway? >>>> BRISTOL City Council is set to save more than B#1 million by ditching Microsoft Office. The authority has been praised by the Conservatives for dumping Microsoft in favour of the StarOffice suit of programs. By using "open-source" software, the council expects to save hundreds of thousands per year. Most of the authority's 5,500 desktops are to have the StarOffice suit installed, at a cost of about B#670,000 over five years. StarOffice can be run on either Microsoft Windows or the free, open-source Linux operating system. To continue using Microsoft Office would have cost B#1.7m. Gavin Beckett, the council's IT strategy manager, said: "Our biggest challenge was encouraging staff to be open-minded about anything that wasn't MS Office. "Microsoft has become so dominant and ubiquitous that the assumption of many people is that everything else is inferior and that the only way to accomplish work is to do it in the exact way that an MS Office product does it." In a speech at the Royal Society of Arts, Conservative shadow chancellor George Osborne praised Bristol City Council for "using open-source software to cut costs, while meeting their IT requirements". He pointed out that a region in Spain saved B#10m after changing 70,000 desktop computers and 400 servers in its schools to open-source software. A recent report by the department for education and skills (DfES) found primary schools using open-source software cut their IT costs per PC by 50 per cent.<<<< www.thisisnorthcliffe.co.uk Any opinions expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual and not necessarily the company. This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient or person responsible for delivering to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that any use is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, advise the sender immediately by using the reply facility in your e-mail software. Warning: Computer viruses may be transmitted or downloaded onto any computer system via e-mail communication. It is the recipientbs responsibility to take appropriate action to prevent computer viruses being transmitted In this way. Accordingly Northcliffe Media Ltd disclaim all responsibility which arises directly or indirectly from such transmission of computer viruses. Northcliffe Media Ltd. Registered Office: Northcliffe Accounting Centre, PO Box 6795 St George Street, Leicester, LE1 1ZP, co no 272225, Registered in England and Wales, VAT no 243571174. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 11:35:09 -0500 From: "David McKenzie" Subject: Re: [idealcopy] One to gladden Ari's heart Of course, if they are really serious about this they would go to Ubuntu or Gentoo for the desktop and OpenOffice (the free open source cousin to StarOffice, which is a Sun product) Sounds like someone fromn Sun made a very nice sale indeed. On 3/15/07, Clements, Bruno - BUP wrote: > Who needs Bill Gates anyway? > > >>>> BRISTOL City Council is set to save more than B#1 million by ditching > Microsoft Office. > The authority has been praised by the Conservatives for dumping Microsoft in > favour of the StarOffice suit of programs. > By using "open-source" software, the council expects to save hundreds of > thousands per year. > Most of the authority's 5,500 desktops are to have the StarOffice suit > installed, at a cost of about B#670,000 over five years. StarOffice can be > run on either Microsoft Windows or the free, open-source Linux operating > system. > To continue using Microsoft Office would have cost B#1.7m. > Gavin Beckett, the council's IT strategy manager, said: "Our biggest > challenge was encouraging staff to be open-minded about anything that wasn't > MS Office. > "Microsoft has become so dominant and ubiquitous that the assumption of many > people is that everything else is inferior and that the only way to > accomplish work is to do it in the exact way that an MS Office product does > it." > In a speech at the Royal Society of Arts, Conservative shadow chancellor > George Osborne praised Bristol City Council for "using open-source software > to cut costs, while meeting their IT requirements". > He pointed out that a region in Spain saved B#10m after changing 70,000 > desktop computers and 400 servers in its schools to open-source software. > A recent report by the department for education and skills (DfES) found > primary schools using open-source software cut their IT costs per PC by 50 > per cent.<<<< > > www.thisisnorthcliffe.co.uk > > Any opinions expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual and not necessarily the company. This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient or person responsible for delivering to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that any use is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, advise the sender immediately by using the reply facility in your e-mail software. > > Warning: Computer viruses may be transmitted or downloaded onto any computer system via e-mail communication. It is the recipientbs responsibility to take appropriate action to prevent computer viruses being transmitted In this way. Accordingly Northcliffe Media Ltd disclaim all responsibility which arises directly or indirectly from such transmission of computer viruses. > > Northcliffe Media Ltd. Registered Office: Northcliffe Accounting Centre, PO Box 6795 St George Street, Leicester, LE1 1ZP, co no 272225, Registered in England and Wales, VAT no 243571174. ------------------------------ End of idealcopy-digest V10 #47 *******************************