[ubuntu-uk] Help get Windows out of schools

[Andrew Oakley]

LeeGroups wrote
> There used to be a saying in the computer industry which was "Nobody 
> ever got fired for buying IBM".
> I think it's shifted to Microsoft. Speaking from experience, 
> most school "IT department heads" don't know that much about IT.
> They perceive it as a 'safe' option to go with MS, every if 
> it costs a fortune, because "everyone else uses it".

But it doesn't cost a forture. MS academic/home/student licences are
massive discounts.

For example, Visual Studio 2008 Professional is 75 quid on the academic
discount scheme, compared to 475 quid normal retail. MS Office Standard
2007 is 35 quid on academic, 270 quid normal retail. The academic
discount goes even further if you buy electronic delivery licences in
bulk from specialist academic software suppliers.

http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?prodID=B133763
http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?prodID=B99223

http://www.software4students.co.uk/Microsoft_Office_Standard_2007-detail
s.aspx
http://www.ecostsoftware.com/microsoft/microsoft-office-2007-standard_p3
036

If you try to argue against Microsoft on grounds of price, you'll fail
every time. Home users, schools, universities and students don't pay
full rate for software. Only businesses pay full rate - and they can
claim it back against tax anyway.

The cost of licencing is peanuts to the cost of install and
maintennance. The important cost to a primary school is having to hire
IT geeks to come round and install stuff and promise to still be in
business on the end of a phone in 2 years when it goes wrong.

A bunch of well-meaning geek dads installing OpenOffice one week, but
then being too busy in three months' time to fix an issue with a
document infected with macro malware, is of no use whatsoever to a
primary school.

In the school sector, you need to distinguish your software by
premium-grade on-site support, compatibility with industry standards and
the applications' ability to provide CV-improving skills.

Want to fix this problem? Two simple steps:

1. Get local businesses to start demanding OpenOffice as a CV skill from
job applicants.

2. Get schools to demand OpenOffice support from their IT support
contracts.

...in that order.

Andrew Oakley
Head of Software Development
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
95 Promenade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1HZ
T 01242 211460  F 01242 211122  W www.hesa.ac.uk

_____________________________________________________________________

Higher Education Statistics Agency Ltd (HESA) is a company limited by
guarantee, registered in England at 95 Promenade Cheltenham GL50 1HZ.
Registered No. 2766993. The members are Universities UK and GuildHE.
Registered Charity No. 1039709. Certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 27001. 
 
HESA Services Ltd (HSL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of HESA,
registered in England at the same address. Registered No. 3109219.
_____________________________________________________________________

This outgoing email was virus scanned for HESA by MessageLabs.
_____________________________________________________________________