re: Re: Japanese Gov't considers abandoning Microsoft Windows

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: IKEDA Nobuo <ikeda-nobuo () rieti go jp>
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2002 01:31:42 +0900
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: ikeda-nobuo () rieti go jp
Subject: IP: Re: Japanese Gov't considers abandoning Microsoft Windows

This is a false report. It's a carbon copy of an article of Asahi
Shimbun, which is written by a dumb reporter. Microsoft Japan is
"considering objection" to Asahi.

The fact is, Japanese government considers revising (or creating) the
criteria of procurement of software as "platform-neutral", i.e., not to
exclude Linux. Now most procurements of software are based on Windows.
The government will likely to make more transparent and pro-competitive
criteria. Naturally Microsoft is resisting. They discussed it with Larry
Lessig:

http://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/events/bbl/021025_j.html

--
Ikeda, Nobuo
Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI)
http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/

> Gov't considers abandoning Microsoft Windows
>
> Sunday, November 17, 2002 at 07:30 JST
>
> http://japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=4&id=239325
> <http://japantoday.com/e/?content=news&amp;cat=4&amp;id=239325>
>
>
> TOKYO ? The Japanese government is reviewing the possibility of no longer
> using Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system as part of its plans to
> boost computer security within the government, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper
> reported Saturday.
>
> Most of the government's servers and personal computers use Windows
> software.
>
> But the government is interested in studying alternative operating systems,
> especially open-source programs such as Linux, the newspaper said.
>
> Open-source programs do not require licensing fees and can be modified
> because their source codes are made available for free.
>
> The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will set up a panel of
> experts to study the alternatives and what systems other governments use in
> the next fiscal year beginning April 1, the newspaper said.
>
> The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's panel on promoting electronic
> government asked the government in August to develop or introduce an
> open-source program for security reasons, it said. (Kyodo News)


------ End of Forwarded Message

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