[ubuntu-uk] Government report warns about Microsoft lock-in

[gord]

Snippet:
	"UK schools and colleges that have signed up to Microsoft Corp's
academic licensing programs face the 'significant potential' of being
locked in to the company's software, according to an interim review by
the UK government agency responsible for technology in education.

The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta)
report also states that most establishments surveyed do not believe that
Microsoft's licensing agreements provide value for money, while a
separate review has recommended against the deployment of Vista and
Office 2007.

Last week Becta signed a 12-month extension to its Memorandum of
Understanding with Microsoft that enables schools to negotiate cheaper
software deals, but many schools will not be taking advantage of it if
they follow Becta's advice." 

... 

	"On the subject of promoting alternatives, Becta noted that the UK's
Open Source Consortium would like to see Becta proactively promoting
choice by adopting open source standards" and stated that it will
"discuss with key stakeholders the practical steps it could take to
facilitate wider competition in choice in relation to software licensing
in schools."

Earlier this week the OSC's president, Mark Taylor, criticized Becta for
entering into the extension with Microsoft despite its own research
indicating cheaper open source alternatives. "We'd like to congratulate
Becta for getting a discount on their season ticket for the Titanic," he
said."

http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=BDD20D68-FDBF-4E1C-BA77-BBA4B7CA6061


Does anyone have any idea weather their is something we could do to help
take advantage of this situation in favour of floss and ubuntu?

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part
Url : https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-uk/attachments/20070112/15637373/attachment.pgp