Oct-04 - Jan-05
From Schoolforge-UK
Sun Announces Open Source License for Solaris Operating SystemSun Microsystems today announced that the source code for Solaris 10 will be made available under the OSI (Open Source Initiative) approved Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL), which is based upon the Mozilla Public Licence. Moreover, in a related move they are also granting open source developers access to more than 1,600 patents. |
UK public bodies unsure about open sourceTwo stories in today's PC Advisor sit nicely together. The first covers a Dutch study that finds only 32% of UK local authorities use open source, compared to 71% in France, 68% in Germany and 55% in the Netherlands. Along with this comes news that Microsoft UK has hired a public servant with 20 years experience in government IT to develop and promote the company's strategy for a more modern and eficient UK public sector. One is tempted to speculate about how much of the government's dismal track record on IT projects he takes with him. |
... And Poland does it again!According to this article in the Campaign for Creativity News, "Poland will again seek to put off the adoption of controversial new rules on patenting computer inventions if European Union ministers decide to debate the issue next week, the Polish government said on Friday". This means that the move to re-start the whole EU patent discussion process has a real chance of taking off. But FFII and NoDoftwarePatents.com, who argue for restraints on patenting computer software, urge supporters to redouble their efforts to contact MPs and MEPs, because the pro-potent lobby is more than ever aware how this issue affects future revenues. |
Those fishy people in Brussels have done it again!They've done it again! Not content with having the proposed "Directive on Computer-Implemented Inventions" removed from the meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers last December 22nd, the Directive is once again scheduled for adoption as an "A-item" (i.e. not requiring a vote) at the next Ag&Fish Council meeting on Monday 24 January. This Directive will loosen already inadequate constraints upon European Patent Offices, who seem to be only too happy to grant patents for computer software and business methods. To discover what you can do to halt adoption of this Directive, even at this late stage, please go to the FFI website. Do it now! |
Open Source methods spread to other fieldsThis article in Wired explains how the benefits of the Open Source methodology are gaining ground in other fields, notably in Biology where scientists are increasing aware how new applications of genetics are being hampered by the patent portfolios of large companies. |
Two articles in 6th January Times Educational SupplementSometimes the staffroom TES gets lost... In this article Jack Kenny examines the proposition that "In mainstream education, Open Source is a story waiting to happen". The same TES included this article about the online school admin system developed by the ICT Co-ordinator at Elthorn Park High School. (If anyone else has problems opening the TES links in Firefox, please let TES know!) |
The Times makes software patents issue more visibleThis article in The Times Online explains the UK government's position over the EU's stalled Computer-Implemented Inventions Directive (for more, see below). When you've read the article, click here and here to see why software developers fear any relaxation or ambiguity over the existing restrictions on patenting software, which are already not strong or clear enough. |
Linux company chalks up success with teachersZDNet reports on the success of Paul Jenkins' SchoolLINUX stand at last week's BETT (British Education anbd Training Techology) show last week. Paul and his team were promoting their live CD that boots older PCs to run Linux with Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird and OpenOffice.org as well as RealPlayer. "I think this is because it gives people the opportunity to reuse old PCs. It lets schools do want they want -- keep computers," Jenkins said. Go Paul!! |
Linux gets warm reception in Chilean schoolsAccording to ZDnet News, nearly 10,000 computers in Chilean schools will be turned into thin clients running Linux and applications such as OpenOffice.org and Mozilla. They will be using EduLinux, a distribution of Linux tailored for educational use, which enables schools to make the best use of old computers with limited processing power. How much will that save in upgrade costs? |
Education Secretary mentions Open SourceRuth Kelly, who recently took over from Charles Clarke as Secretary of State for Education & Skills, stated at the British Education and Training Technology show (BETT) that "We believe that high quality and well supported open source solutions have a valuable role to play in education". Hopefully, not merely a role in beating down Microsoft prices. If you don't want to read [the whole speech it's in the 3rd para from the end. |
OpenOffice.org & Schoolforge in the newsRichard Rothwell points out this article in Education Guardian, covering the possibilities for FLOSS in education, and wants to make it clear that Handsworth GS do not run Citrix. |
Venezuelan Government legislates for Open SourceIT Analysis reports that the Venezuelan Government has issued a decree to its central organisations, ordering them to draft plans for migration to Open Source systems. The article provides a roundup of 24 countries that are now either committed to, or else have stated policies that prefer FLOSS for government systems. |
IBM rethinks its patent strategySeveral reports cover this IBM Press Release about the company's pledge to donate 500 software patents to individuals and groups working on open source projects. The move comes after a lengthy internal review by IBM, the world's largest patent holder, of its strategy toward intellectual property. "True innovation leadership is about more than just the numbers of patents granted. It's about innovating to benefit customers, partners and society," said Dr. John E. Kelly, IBM senior vice president, Technology and Intellectual Property. |
MEPs call for fresh start for EU patent legislationGroklaw picks up on several reports that 61 MEPs have signed a motion calling for a fresh start for the EU patent legislation that stalled just before Christmas, through the action of Poland's Minister of Information Society and Technology (see below). The MEPs argue that things have changed significantly since the "computer-implemented inventions" Directive was adopted by Council in May 2004. |
Observer article about WikipediaThis article in yesterday's Observer discusses the success of Wikipedia and mentions some of the criticisms recently levelled at the project from proprietary encyclopaedias. |
Brussels blow to Microsoft upheldThis BBC News article reports that the European Court of First Instance has turned down an appeal by Microsoft to delay hard-hitting sanctions from the European Commission. Next stop, the European Court of Justice. |
Poland saves the day!Well, the EU Directive on Computer-Implemented Inventions was indeed scheduled for approval at today's meeting of the Agricultural Council. (Why? see below: Be careful how you code, and The bad smell from Brussels has nothing to do with fish). However, Poland's Minister of Information Society and Technology, Wlodzimierz Marcinski, firmly requested the item removed from the agenda. Well done Poland! |
Be careful how you codeBill Thompson's blog on BBC technology news explains how undemocratic and possibly illegal manoeuvres by the Dutch Presidency of the European Union have brought the Directive on Computer Implemented Inventions to tomorrow's Agriculture and Fisheries meeting, in such a way that the Directive may be passed without a vote. The Directive would legalise European software patents, and no longer commands support of a qualified majority of Council members. FFII are organising a web demo. |
Fox in Microsoft's HenhouseThe New York Times is running an article (registation required) about Mozilla Firefox, following the 2-page ad in that paper that was paid for by donations. |
An Open Letter to a Digital WorldAs a Linux desktop user himself, system administrator Chris Spencer did not relish having to clean up his wife's infected Windows PC after it had become compromised. By the time he'd solved the immediate problem, Spencer had become so fed up with spyware, trojans, viruses, and spam, that he decided it was time to write a letter to the world. It's a simple message: it's time to switch from Windows to Linux. Spencer's letter is published in Linux World. |
The bad smell from Brussels has nothing to do with fishHeise Online reports that the EU Directive on Computer Implemented Inventions - in the version that permits the patenting of computer software - might be formally adopted without debate under the aegis of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union, at the very last minute before Christmas either on (20 December) at a meeting of Environment Ministers or (on 21-22 December) of those responsible for Agriculture and Fisheries. Visit FFII or http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com to deluge your MPs and MEPs with emails and faxes. |
Get the factsAn updated Linux vs Windows TCO study (PDF) has found that a 250-seat company can save 36 percent of its IT costs by equipping users with the open source operating system and applications that run on it. The study, by Australian open source company Cybersource, was slashdotted at the time of posting this article, but The Age has a summary (registration required). |
Schoolforge-UK Chairman presents FLOSS to NESTA FuturelabLast Wednesday, Chairman of Schoolforge-UK Richard Rothwell gave a presentation about FLOSS to staff at NESTA Futurelab. NESTA is the Lottery-funded National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, and Futurelab is its project to "allow the potential of ICT to transform learning". You can view the (non-linear) presentation here. Richard mentions another presentation from SIGGOSS, the EC-sponsored Special Interest Group on Open Source Software for Education in Europe. |
Poland scuppers EU Patent DirectiveAcording to this story at the the Inquirer, Poland's council of ministers has declined to support the proposed EU Patent Directive, which (see earlier stories below) would allow European patents for "computer-implemented inventions". According to nosoftwarepatents.com, the new method of tallying EU votes means that those countries supporting the EU Patent Directive (which include the UK government) no longer have the required majority. If you haven't let your MP and Euro MPs know how you feel about the EU Patent Directive, bear in mind that it ain't over yet... |
IBM backs EU XML interoperability standardsIt isn't all going Microsoft's way, though. OASIS is the XML-based format recommended by IDA (Interchange of Data Between Administrations), the European programme to support electronic exchange of information between public administrations across Europe. IBM today joined the OASIS Open Office XML Format Technical Committee. As the FT explains: "The move will put additional pressure on Microsoft to open up its proprietary Office software suite, or risk being excluded from orders by government departments across Europe". Sun Microsystems' comments are here and the FT story here. |
Microsoft wins £500m NHS contractThe Department of Health announced yesterday that Microsoft has won a nine-year contract, worth an estimated £500m, to put its software on 900,000 National Health Service computers. See full story over at ZDNet UK The contract provides a saving of £330m over the Health Service's existing deal with Microsoft, and includes breakpoints at three-year intervals. "The option to use open-source software in the future remains and continues to be evaluated," stated the DoH. So what impact is the OGC policy (see below) really having? |
UK Government: Open Source a viable and credible alternativeThe Office of Government Commerce has published the final report on the "Proof of Concept" evaluations of Open Source Software, which have been carried out by several government departments over the past 2 years with the help of IBM and Sun Microsystems. The key finding is that: "Open Source software is a viable and credible alternative to proprietary software for infrastructure implementations, and for meeting the requirements of the majority of desktop users" WikiSysop 12:28, 1 Nov 2004 (GMT) |
State of FLOSS in US schoolsThis very balanced article in eWeek describes the state of FLOSS in US schools. According to Paul Nelson, the open-source movement in schools is "at the- snowball-at-the-top-of-the-hill stage", while his state's chief IT officer admits, "Having a variety of [software] environments provides the right pressure—incentive, if you will, for your vendors to be responsive to you." |
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