[ubuntu-uk] (Marketing) three open source software suppliers submitted tenders to Becta yesterday

[Lucy]

On 26/05/2008, Rob Beard <rob at esdelle.co.uk> wrote:
> alan c wrote:
>  > (also to ubuntu-marketing list)
>  >
>  > Open source trumps Microsoft in UK schools
>  >
>  > "......At least three open source software suppliers submitted tenders
>  > to Becta yesterday for the £270,000 Schools Open Source Project. The
>  > winner will spend two years building a community of schools which uses
>  > and develops its own open source alternatives to Microsoft
>  > software......."
>  >
>
> <snip>
>
>  So I take it this means that schools will be able to choose Open Source
>  alternatives such as OpenOffice.org, Firefox ..[snip]

I've heard rumours[1] that this is already happening in some places.
The problem is that most schools don't have the time or expertise for
change. They are also locked into contracts with suppliers, like RM,
who give the schools little choice over what they can run.

The main problem I see is that there are very few large free software
companies who are in a position to sell contracts to schools. A number
of small companies are springing up who can install free software
solutions but afaik the Becta framework isn't setup for them. I think
that to take advantage of free software Becta will have to rethink its
present framework and stop allowing school's IT to be sold to the
cheapest monopoly.


[1] From the talk
http://manchester.fsuk.org/blog/2008/05/15/richard-rothwell-20th-may-2008/