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Re: How many skolelinux-installations?



Søndag 14 januar 2007 14:57, skrev Petter Reinholdtsen:
> If this is true, only a small fraction of the schools are installing
> popularity-contest on their machines,

Thats mostly right. 

The numbers Skolelinux Drift has is based on sale statistics from 
different sources as InOut, selling reused computers to schools. 

Some schools has expressed that thy will not report using Skolelinux to 
municipality computer department, based on Linux hostility at 
administrative level. The principal and sys.admin at school don't want 
to replace their Skolelinux installation. Even if some municipalities 
will pay extra to replace Skolelinux, installing Windows instead. Often 
lead by Microsoft Academic Licensing Programmes, where schools using 
Linux/Mac or something else has to pay Microsoft Licenses on machines 
running competing Operating Systems. 

The estimate of 250-300 schools is reported to The Norwegian Competition 
Authority in the case where schools has to pay Microsoft licenses on 
machines running Mac, Linux og some other operating system. The 
Norwegian Competition Authority are investigating how Microsoft 
demanding License pay on machines running Linux and Macs: 

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article1023195.ece

This shows how difficult it is to count machines mechanically. The sale 
and calling schools and municipalities that are OS agnostic reflects a 
more realistic adoption rate. It's also explains why schools are 
reluctant to be counted officially, where reporting what operating 
system they use, maybe kick of a payment to Microsoft for running 
Skolelinux. Microsoft has the same agreement in many European 
countries. What I know is that Norway is the only country probing 
Microsofts Academic Licenses. Licenses that are illegal in my view. 

Becta is an acronym for The British Educational Communications and 
Technology Agency. They recently published two reports warning about 
vendor lock-in with Microsoft's school agreement (Academic Licensing 
Programmes). The also recommends to igonre Windows Vista and Office 
2007. Links to press, press statement, and the report: 

http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=BDD20D68-FDBF-4E1C-BA77-BBA4B7CA6061
http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=28197&page=1835
http://news.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=28268&page=1661

Bectas "ignore Vista" advice. Links to press, press statement, and the 
report: 

http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=61A19824-89F8-4649-82F7-3062481BA64B
http://news.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=28267&page=1658&catID=1633
http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=28199&page=1835

Best regards

Knut Yrvin



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