Greece Specifies Open Hardware but Wants M$’s Software Despite Dire Financial Straits at Robert Pogson

“The ministry published a request for tender in November, seeking suppliers of 26,400 laptops, 1760 servers and 1760 wifi access routers. The value of the contract is set at just over 15 million euro. The purchase will be partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

The ministry is asking for laptops and servers that can run either a ubiquitous proprietary operating system or Linux. But, say the Greek Linux User Group (Greeklug) and Eel/lak, a Greek open source advocacy organisation founded by 25 universities and research centres, the technical requirements clearly favour proprietary solutions over open source. "The specification is a copy of the proprietary vendor’s e-mail and office software."”see Open source groups warn Greece will waste millions on school software | Joinup.

It never ceases to amaze me that organizations even on Death’s Door financially will still buy that other OS even after many others have chosen GNU/Linux and FLOSS and obtained better IT at much lower cost. I recommend Debian GNU/Linux. It can do whatever needs to be done in education.

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.

3 Responses to “Greece Specifies Open Hardware but Wants M$’s Software Despite Dire Financial Straits”

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1 kozmcrae Dec 24th, 2012 at 10:31 am

So maybe we shouldn’t wonder why the Greek government led their country into fiscal distress. We’ve just be given a crystal clear view into how they favor cronyism over sound fiduciary responsibility.
2 dougman Dec 24th, 2012 at 1:28 pm

Greece is addicted to M$ like drug addicts are taken to crack.

Only pain will solve the addiction.

Spending millions to browse the web, create documents/spreadsheets and read/compose email, when your already broke is just stupid.
3 ram Dec 25th, 2012 at 11:01 pm

Greek government officials have the same criteria for purchasing as officials in many countries — who pays them the biggest bribe!