Rome Moving to Linux 231
fmstasi writes "La Repubblica, one of the main Italian newspapers, reports shortly about an interview (in Italian) with Mariella Gramaglia, Communication Councillor at the Municipality of Rome. They are planning to start soon trying Linux on the desktop: 'The first tests will concern e-mail, address book software and sharing systems', she says. The Councillor also says that motivations are political rather than economic: 'In the short term, the money saved on license will have to be spent on training'. It seems that there haven't been any reaction yet from Microsoft: 'At Microsoft they know how much we esteem them', she says; 'for example, they are sponsoring a campaign to spread the use of computers among the elderly. And we'll keep on cooperating with them on other projects'. Maybe Microsoft also appreciates that there is (yet) no project of migrating all the clients? The Municipality has about 9,500 clients, so an eventual migration project would be slightly smaller than the one taking place in Munich."
I can't wait for the day (Score:5, Interesting)
Trying or Doing? (Score:5, Interesting)
The subject would suggest that it has been chosen to switch to Linux, but as we can see they are just going to be 'trying it'. How many people have 'tried' switching and given up under pressure from Micro$oft?
How long? (Score:5, Interesting)
The US government forgoing M$ would surely be the death knell of Micro$haft W1nbl0ws.
When in Rome (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:How long? (Score:2, Interesting)
A great success story of Linux on the desktop... (Score:5, Interesting)
More time should be spent on understanding how they did it and why they have had such good results. The move has been an incredible success with copies of Linex (the debian-based distribution they created) being given away when you buy the newspaper.
And schools have transitioned to it. The key, I believe, was localization. They switch the name of openwriter to "Cervantes", the famous Spanish writer, author of Don Quijote. They did the same for all of the applications and streamlined the installation to a process that makes it dead easy for anybody to install it.
Finally, the government is subsidizing the use of linux in rural areas for first-time computer buyers by paying for a chuck of a linux-compatible computer.
So why isn't this being talked about is the greatest mistery to me. Linux is on thousands of government, school and private desktops today. And it works!
Like Italians with women (Score:3, Interesting)
They tell the women they are with how much they love and adore them while they are working a deal with some other woman.
Re:When in Rome (Score:5, Interesting)
-Steve Jobs
(OK it was actually Bruce Ediger that said that, but Steve Jobs sounds better)
Re:How long? (Score:5, Interesting)
The biggest problem with Linux on the desktop and for local projects is that most branches of the military get huge enterprise licenses. For example when I was doing work with the Air Force we used Oracle because we could call a number and get a free license for Oracle, now I am working at an Army base we use MS-SQL server because I can call a number and get a free license for MS-SQL server.
Sigh, I do miss my Oracle database it was far easier to provide the solutions the users needed.
Re:When in Rome (Score:3, Interesting)
You have no idea how many people find WinZIP and Windows explorer to be "Hard" to use.
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Perhaps the question should be (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:When in Rome (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I can't wait for the day (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:How long? (Score:5, Interesting)
Many federal agencies are required by law to use metric units in procurement and grants, and the meter is by law "the preferred system of weight and measures" for US trade and commerce.
Re:When in Rome (Score:1, Interesting)
Every time I got a few newbies together for a Windows "class", about 1/3 of the time was spent actually educating them about files and how they are organized on the disk, something most "professional" trainers ignore yet it underlies so much of the structure in Windows.
An equal amount of time is spent on the user interface in Windows; basics like single and double-clicking, right-clicking, selecting single and multiple files (CTRL- and SHIFT-click) and maneuvering through the Start menu.
Only the final 1/3 is spent on actual applications like Office (Word and Excel are enough for almost everyone), Internet Explorer (blecch!) and always, always WinZIP and Acrobat Reader.
In the end, I find that most of the people I train move into other applications with no trouble and no further training. Recently, quite a few have been asking about Linux and several have moved to Linux with almost no training. The most confusing thing in most distros is the horrible, horrible organization on Linux "Start" menus, which, I have to admit, confuse the hell outa me too! But moving from IE to Mozilla? from M$ Office to Open Office? Pagemaker to Scribus (one customer)? NOT a problem!
Re:E-mail and address book software (Score:3, Interesting)
Better to fall at the first hurdle than spend a fortune on getting over every other little problem and find the final hurdle is insurmountable. Exchange migration (including keeping all the existing emails, calendar entries etc) is distinctly Non-Trivial.
If they can find (or write their own) system which Just Works as an alternative to Exchange then not only will they find the path to migraton that much clearer, but if they release it migration will become a real possibility for many organisations which right now couldn't even consider it.
Re:Let's do an analysis (Score:5, Interesting)
Well, they could if they didn't have such moneypits as MSN, WinCE, Stinger and XBox, but they do and somebody has to pay for all that.
Remember that this is all just the beginning. So Thailand gets huge discounts, not just for the government, but for everybody. And all this because they started a very successful Linux programme. Munich got the chance for huge discounts but they declined. (What message is that? "Even at only 10% of the normal price, Windows isn't worth it")
How long until other countries start Linux programmes? It's a win-win situation, either you run Linux or you get huge discounts from Redmond, you can't lose.
I doubt that Microsoft's tactics can work. Currently they are encouraging everybody to start Linux programs and evaluations by offering hefty discounts to them while ripping off their loyal customers.
It will take years and probably longer than a decade, but in the end Windows and MS Office (not Microsoft, they have enough money to survive virtually forever) is doomed.
2394 later: Rome saved again by birds ! (Score:2, Interesting)
In 2004 AD, Rome shall be saved from the invasion of the Borg by another type of birds: PENGUINS!