[Discussioni]Newsscan

[Francesco Potorti`]

ISRAELI GOV'T SUSPENDS PURCHASES OF MICROSOFT SOFTWARE
The Israeli government has become the latest national government to seek 
open-source alternatives to Microsoft's productivity software, citing cost 
as a major motivating factor. "The move with Microsoft was a purely 
economic decision," says a Finance Ministry spokeswoman. "The Israeli 
government will not be purchasing new products from Microsoft, but will 
implement its contract to secure existing systems. On a policy level, the 
government is committed to expanding computer use. We want open source 
technology to spread, so more people will be able to afford computers." The 
Finance Ministry has been working with Sun Microsystems and IBM to create a 
Hebrew language version of OpenOffice software, an open-source alternative 
to Microsoft Office. Some federal agencies in France, China and Germany, as 
well as the city government in Munich, have switched over to Linux-based 
servers and individual workstations. Other governments exploring open 
source alternatives include those in Britain, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, 
China and Russia. Governments account for about 10% of global information 
technology spending, according to IDC. (AP/USA Today 31 Dec 2003)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/world/2003-12-30-israel-vs-microsoft_x.htm