Update: New York Times: An Alternative to Microsoft Gains Support in High Places

[ Thanks to Andy Tai for this link. ]

"Governments around the world, afraid that Microsoft has become too powerful in critical software markets, have begun working to ensure an alternative.

"More than two dozen countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America, including China and Germany, are now encouraging their government agencies to use 'open source' software—developed by communities of programmers who distribute the code without charge and donate their labor to cooperatively debug, modify and otherwise improve the software.

"The best known of these projects is Linux, a computer operating system that Microsoft now regards as the leading competitive threat to its lucrative Windows franchise in the market for software that runs computer servers. The foremost corporate champion of Linux is I.B.M., which is working with many governments on Linux projects..."

Complete Story [Free registration required. -ed.]

[Editor's Note: As many LT readers don't care to register at any site, reader EvilBob submitted a link to a CNN/Money story that picks up a lot of the major points from the NYT article. -BKP]

CNN/Money: Linux Gains on Microsoft

"After years of defending itself against anti-competitive allegations, Microsoft is now on the other side of the coin, as a number of international government agencies are encouraging the use of free, 'open source' server software, according to a published report Thursday.

"Shares of Microsoft (MSFT: down $1.10 to $47.11, Research, Estimates), the world's largest software maker, fell about 3 percent in mid-day trade Thursday.

"As it faces the growing threat of 'open source' software, particularly the Linux operating system, Microsoft is backing an industry group called the Initiative for Software Choice, comprising mostly small international companies and organizations, according to the New York Times..."

Related Stories:

• Venezuela's Government Shifts to Open Source Software(Aug 30, 2002)
• SF Gate: Open-Source Government(Aug 29, 2002)
• The Register: Swedish Government Mulls Linux(Aug 23, 2002)
• ZDNet UK: Governments Should Switch to Open Source--Study(Aug 23, 2002)
• BBC: Linux Battle Becomes Political(Aug 20, 2002)
• The Register: China targets Windows with Linux-based OS(Aug 19, 2002)
• CNET: Linux Makes a Run for Government(Aug 16, 2002)