[seul-edu] Re: [OS:N:] MS targeting schools for software audits...

[Janina Sajka <janina@afb.net>]

More power to Microsoft. Let them audit and submit their huge
invoices. Perhaps the schools will
then begin to understand that there is substance and
value in FREE software--that our arguments are not just theory.

Ready, aim, fire .....



                                Ouch! That was my foot!!


On 22 Apr 2002, Paul Nelson wrote:

> The 24 largest school districts in Oregon and Washington are being

> audited my the Microsoft marketing department for license
compliance.
> Along with the letter from MS came an invitation to lease software
from
> MS as part of a school agreement that requires MS licenses for
every
> Pentium and PPC computer, even those running Linux or Mac OS.
>
> Steve Duin, a writer for the Oregonian has a column at:
>
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/all_wire_stories/101386428029222529.xml

>
> If that url is too long try this one:
> http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/
>
> Portland Public Schools, after a successful test of K12LTSP in one

> middle school, is installing K12LTSP in 10 more labs this week.
They
> have plans for 100 more next year.
>
> To give you an idea of the scale of the problem facing a large
district
> like PPS, they have 25,000 PCs. A MS school agreement lease of
software
> could cost the district over $1,000,000 a year. Just buying a
virus
> package would cost $250,000 a year.
>
> Use of K12LTSP and other open source, free software is a viable
> alternative. Schools are starting to figure this out.
>
> Quoting Steve Duin and Scott Robinson, CIO of PPS in the article
above,
> "... Thus, it's not surprising that several schools are asking,
along
> with Robinson in Portland, "whether we want to continue with the
> Microsoft platform."
> ..."
>
> If there ever was a time when using Linux on desktops in schools
and
> public agencies makes sense, it's NOW when MS is shooting itself
in the
> foot with predatory pricing practices.
>
> What can you do?
>
> DOWNLOAD a free copy of K12LTSP, get together with your local
Linux User
> Group and plan a demonstration for your local schools.
> http://k12ltsp.org/download.html
>
> TALK with your local government and school leaders and let them
know
> that you expect fiscal responsibility when it comes to buying
software.
> Review their purchasing guidelines to see if open source solutions
are
> given priority over proprietary solutions.
>
> DEMONSTRATE - Offer open houses for schools and government
agencies to
> showcase open source success. If we all did this on the same day
all
> over the country we could make a bigger splash. We released
K12LTSP 1.0
> on July 4th last year and had a standing room only open house.
>
> We have better software because it comes from a more effective and
more
> responsive development model. Users are encouraged to collaborate
and
> improve the code. This represents a paradigm shift that may be
hard to
> understand for many. We have to demonstrate success stories and
let
> folks know that the open source revolution is not a fluke. It's
just a
> better way of producing the software we all use every day.
>
> ;-) Paul
> K12LTSP.org
>

--

                                Janina Sajka, Director
                                Technology Research and Development
                                Governmental Relations Group
                                American Foundation for the Blind
(AFB)

Email: janina@afb.net           Phone: (202) 408-8175

Chair, Accessibility SIG
Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
http://www.openebook.org