p2pnet - rss feed: Russian schools look to Linux
p2pnet news | Open Source:- Bad news for Bill and the Boyz. Because in Russia, the Penguin is nigh.
By 2009, all computers in Russian schools are to be run on Linux, “which means they will not have to pay for a licence for software, such as Microsoft’s Windows,” says the BBC.
This spring a Russian court threw out case in which school-teacher Alexander Ponosov was accused of using computers with unlicensed Microsoft software which, he said, had arrived already installed on the systems.
The court called the case “trivial” and Russian president Vladimir Putin said it was “utter nonsense” and those who make pirate goods should be targeted, not consumers. But the BBCA Russian court ordered a retrial.
Ponosov was found guilty.
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev asked Microsoft boss Bill Gates to intervene in the case, but Gates declined.
Now, “Alexey Smirnov, Director General of the Company ALTLinux, said that schools formerly tended to run illegal copies of Microsoft operating systems, but after Russia entered the WTO, the laws became much stricter and schools began to be prosecuted for doing so,” says the BBC, adding:
“The situation became rather serious, and something had to be done,” he told BBC World Service’s Digital Planet programme.
“One possible decision was to buy licences for all the software being used - but so much software was being used, it proved too expensive… so the decision was taken to use free software, although not immediately, but over three years.”
Also See:
BBC - Russian schools move to Linux, October 9, 2007
already installed - Ponosov ‘guilty’ in Microsoft case, May 8, 2007
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October 15th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Any ideas how many computers are in the russian school system. Looks like microshaft has shoot it self in the foot and linux gets a big bump.
October 16th, 2007 at 6:22 am
It seems a lot of major companies took the “shoot yourself in the foot successfully” course these days
October 16th, 2007 at 9:30 am
“…but Gates declined.”
Big mistake.
October 16th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
knowing microsoft they will try to sue
March 10th, 2008 at 1:41 am
Microsoft got what it wanted, a school teacher convicted. Now, the Russians will get what they need, affordable software. Yes, the Kopyright Kops won again in court, but they lost in the marketplace. If Microsoft played it smart, they would have seen to it the charges against this teacher were dropped. The Russian people and politicians would have been favorable to buying Microsoft products at an affordable price, and Microsoft would have had access tot he Russian education market. Microsoft would mot have made as much money as it wanted from the Russian school system, but it would have made some money. Now, since Billy Gates decided to not help this school teacher, he has alienated the Russian school system and likely have lost that entire market.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:53 am
What for?
Absolutely all pupils in Russian school use Windows.
What for do we need Linux?
April 28th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I mean that they use Windows at home.
What for to use another system at school?