p2pnet - rss feed: FACIL sues Quebec government
p2pnet news view | Products:- Quebec is giving preferential treatment to companies making “proprietary software” instead of using free alternatives, says FACIL, the province’s open-source software association.
It says in the first five months of this year alone, the Quebec government spent $25 million on software of this type.
“The group estimates the government is spending more than $80 million a year on licences for Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system alone,” says the CBC, going on:
“Whereas proprietary vendors sell software for a fee and then charge for support and upgrades, open-source makers supply the software for free and bill only for subsequent services.”
A non-profit association, FACIL says it’s filed a motion before the Quebec Superior Court to, “bring an end ” to the practice.
“In Quebec, “access to public markets is the rule while procurement notice without invitation to tender is the exception,” it says, going on, “A public market should be transparent, fair and most importantly, open to all. The solutions as well as the propositions must be evaluated objectively on known and accepted criteria.
“Furthermore, the regulation implies that public markets have to enhance the local economic development as well as the Quebec technologies.”
A strategic, “Free Software utilization in public administration could create thousands of jobs as well as a significant decrease in software licensing costs,” says FACIL, but, “Quebec’s public administration refuses to even consider and evaluate these options,” it declares, adding:
While most of the developed countries are now migrating their technological infrastructures to Free Software, “Quebec’s public administration is far behind,” says the group, adding:
“In France, hundreds of thousands of desktops used by civil servants have been migrated. In the Netherlands, the public administration, one of the most modern in the world, has decided to forbid the use of proprietary software in the public sector.
“But here in Quebec, despite numerous initiatives, the public administration refuses to communicate and to cooperate.”
Quebec government procurement officials couldn’t be reached for comment, says the CBC.
FACIL - FACIL conteste en Cour supérieure les pratiques gouvernementales, August 27, 2008
CBC - Quebec government sued for buying Microsoft software, August 27, 2008
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August 28th, 2008 at 10:53 am
“Quebec government procurement officials couldn’t be reached for comment, says the CBC.”
Too far up Bill Gates a** to be reached, I suspect.
August 28th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
@Silly Ratfaced Git
get with the times it’s no longer Bills a**
August 29th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
@Reader’s Write
Perhaps you should get with the times. Although Bill is no longer president of Microsoft, he still is the CEO, which has more power and control over a company.
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I agree with FACIL. Instead of spending 80 mil a year on M$ crap-ware, using the money to hire people to boost Linux code would be a much better use of the money. Ubuntu Linux is very stable and well programmed OS that doesn’t require 80 million dollars to use.
August 30th, 2008 at 2:15 am
I’m with an Arse
I use Ubuntu (or a Ubuntu-derived distro) everyday. Linux is hitting mainstream, but at a slower pace.