DesktopLinux.com: Special report: Reactions to Microsoft’s New Software Licensing Policy

“Partly as a response to Microsoft’s new, more aggressive,
licensing policy, governments and institutions worldwide have begun
implementing legislation or programs geared to the adoption of
Linux and other open source software as an alternative to
Microsoft’s Windows and Office products. Various agencies and
institutions in the countries of Peru, Germany, China, France,
India, Singapore, and Taiwan have announced their selection of
Linux in government systems — and the list keeps growing.

“In the United States, the Pentagon has been looking to open
source for Department of Defense projects. The Air Force is working
with Linux already. Other US government agencies reportedly using
Linux include the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Energy (DOE).
The Boston Globe reports, for example, that more than 75 IBM
government customers are using Linux ‘today . . . to save costs,
consolidate workloads, and increase efficiency’.

“Some recent indicators suggest Microsoft is backing away from
enforcing this program for educators. For example, USAToday
reported that some school districts have been offered the option of
paying an annual fee based on the number of computers capable of
running Microsoft software, instead of having to endure an audit.
Along similar lines, USAToday also reported that other previously
scheduled implementations of subscription-based upgrades have been
extended as their deadlines approached…”

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