| Amsterdam mulls the Linux desktop |
Jan. 03, 2007
Amsterdam has decided to give the Linux desktop and OpenOffice a try. In late December, the city -- previously a Microsoft-only operation -- announced plans to spend 300,000 Euros (roughly $400,000) on testing Linux and other open-source software in its housing department and in the Zeeburg borough office in 2007.
According to the Dutch newspaper, Trouw, Amsterdam, along with nine other Dutch cities, including Haarlem, Groningen, Eindhoven, and Nijmegen joined together to sign a "manifesto for open software in government." The cities had several reasons to make this move. These included the need to cut down on IT expenses, more independence from software vendors, and better data interoperability.
In a statement, Amsterdam spokeswoman Marjolijn van Goethem said "Earlier this year, a study ordered by the [Amsterdam] city council showed that an 'open' software strategy leads to more independence from suppliers. In addition, the use of open software can lead to better exchange and storage of information, without unacceptable financial or logistical risks."
The test is scheduled to run during the first half of 2007, and, if successful, all of Amsterdam's government may start using open source software. The city, however, does not plan to abandon proprietary software completely. "It is the expectation that a new contract with Microsoft will be smaller," added van Goethem. The contract comes up for renewal at the end of 2008.
The other Dutch cities have also chosen to implement Linux and open-source software. According to Dutch open-source supporter, Hans Kwint, in a press release sent to LXer.com, "Some Dutch municipalities already tested open source -- in varying degrees. Groningen (170.000 inhabitants) switche[d] to OpenOffice, and six other municipalities near Groningen tried open source. Some of them used OpenOffice, some of them Linux, and most of them were happy with the result. The municipality of Haren switched to a LTSP system (still including some proprietary software), a welfare organization in Amsterdam uses open source now, the region of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen uses open source a lot (mainly because the IT-manager is an open-source enthusiast), and also the municipalities of IJsselstein and Goes are using it. The Dutch government even facilitated an exchange-platform for open-source developers, but there have been no reports yet that they've decide to give it a try."
This shift in Dutch city government toward Linux and open source lends credibility to graduate student David B. Rankin recent hypothesis that desktop Linux may be nearing a tipping point within government settings, after which adoption can be expected to accelerate.
-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
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