http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/french-lawmakers-hope-to-inspire-linux-revolution/?scp=2&sq=linux&st=Search
French Lawmakers Hope to Inspire Linux Revolution
By Ashlee Vance
If the French National Assembly gets its way, the open-source Linux
operating system will take over the governments of Europe, seizing on
a weak economy to displace Windows.
About 18 months ago, the Assembly shifted from running Windows on the
1,100 computers of its members and their assistants to running a
version of Linux called Ubuntu. (I profiled the rise of Ubuntu in a
recent article.) According to Rudy Salles, vice president of the
assembly, the decision to abandon Microsoftâ??s Windows software was
both an economic and political gesture.
The French Parliament should save about 500,000 euros over the next
five years, thanks to the low price of Ubuntu â??- free â??- and have
lower management costs. Linux tends to have fewer security issues than
Windows, for example.
Politically, the European Union has proved tougher than the United
States in its legal objections to Microsoftâ??s dominance over the
operating system market. In addition, thereâ??s a rising notion that
backing Linux could lead to more local jobs, because local companies
can try to disrupt the market by undercutting Microsoft on price and
offering services to install and manage Linux for businesses.
â??We have tried to convince the government that investing in
open-source is good for the local economy,â?? said Alexandre Zapolsky,
the chief executive of Linagora, the French software services company
that helped install Ubuntu at the Parliament. â??If we try to play by
the same rules as the U.S. companies, we will not be able to win a
bright future. We have to change the rules.â??
Mr. Zapolsky also complains that French companies doing business with
Microsoft help other countries more than France.
â??At the end of the day, Microsoft does not pay taxes in France,â??
he said. â??They pay the lower taxes through Microsoft Ireland.â??
With economic woes sweeping through Europe, Mr. Salles says he
believes France can offer a cheaper model for other countries to
follow.
â??Weâ??re quite happy because itâ??s all working very well now,â??
Mr. Salles said. â??We see that many countries are interested in our
experience, and so weâ??ll try to help the other parliaments around
the world.â??
According to Mr. Salles, a survey polling members of the French
Assembly found that 80 percent of the members were happy with the new
software, which included new e-mail and office applications, while 14
percent felt Windows should return.
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