19 May
2009
19 May
'09
11:23 a.m.
On Mon, 18 May 2009, mick wrote:
I have worked in central government my entire career (some 35+ years). I even once worked for the organisation quoted below. I confess to being completely baffled how a new agreement with Microsoft meets the Government's committment to Open Source.
"It [the new agreement] also reinforces the Government's commitment to its Open Source Action Plan by setting up a facility to reuse and share licences across the public sector."
I think the key to understanding it is that an "Open Source Action Plan" is not the same thing as a "plan to use open source software exclusively". Point 6 on page 7 of http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/141716/090224opensource.pdf seems particularly relevant in this case.
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Regards,
Dan