France looks to open-source in challenge to Microsoft - 06/21/04 09:34 PM
JUNE 18, 2004 (REUTERS) - France's cash-strapped government is giving alternative software firms the chance to win state business in a pioneering drive to challenge U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. in the public sector.
Civil Service Minister Renaud Dutreil told Reuters that France wants to use open-source software providers to resupply part of the almost 1 million state computers under a government cost-cutting drive designed to trim a bulging public deficit.
"We are not starting a war against Microsoft, or against American companies in the software sector," Dutreil said in an interview. But Microsoft "must return to being one supplier to the state among others."
"The competition is open," he said. "My estimate is that we can cut the state software bill at least in half."
At stake, in the case of office suite software alone, is about $362.5 million worth of software to be introduced to state computers over three years. Savings on operating systems could be of a similar amount, officials said.
France's conservative government is trying to cut costs as it seeks to rein in a public-sector deficit that is set to bust the European Union limit of 3% of gross domestic product in 2004 for the third year running.
The use of open-source software such as Linux, OpenOffice, Mozilla, Apache, MySQL and Evolution is "very credible," Dutreil said.
Microsoft, which is appealing a European Union fine for breaching antitrust law, said it would try to show the French government it could offer software at a competitive price. "In fact, open-source software is not free. It is very expensive because it shifts the cost to maintenance, services, integration and training," said Microsoft France CEO Christophe Aulnette.
Open-source software suppliers welcomed the news.
"This decision will allow us to increase our presence in France," said Jacques Le Marois, president of the French open-source software company MandrakeSoft SA. "This will also help us sell our solutions to other governments."
Marois said he believes the German, Israeli and Malaysian governments also envision moving to open-source software.
France's culture, agriculture and finance ministries have already signed deals with MandrakeSoft, the company said.
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Civil Service Minister Renaud Dutreil told Reuters that France wants to use open-source software providers to resupply part of the almost 1 million state computers under a government cost-cutting drive designed to trim a bulging public deficit.
"We are not starting a war against Microsoft, or against American companies in the software sector," Dutreil said in an interview. But Microsoft "must return to being one supplier to the state among others."
"The competition is open," he said. "My estimate is that we can cut the state software bill at least in half."
At stake, in the case of office suite software alone, is about $362.5 million worth of software to be introduced to state computers over three years. Savings on operating systems could be of a similar amount, officials said.
France's conservative government is trying to cut costs as it seeks to rein in a public-sector deficit that is set to bust the European Union limit of 3% of gross domestic product in 2004 for the third year running.
The use of open-source software such as Linux, OpenOffice, Mozilla, Apache, MySQL and Evolution is "very credible," Dutreil said.
Microsoft, which is appealing a European Union fine for breaching antitrust law, said it would try to show the French government it could offer software at a competitive price. "In fact, open-source software is not free. It is very expensive because it shifts the cost to maintenance, services, integration and training," said Microsoft France CEO Christophe Aulnette.
Open-source software suppliers welcomed the news.
"This decision will allow us to increase our presence in France," said Jacques Le Marois, president of the French open-source software company MandrakeSoft SA. "This will also help us sell our solutions to other governments."
Marois said he believes the German, Israeli and Malaysian governments also envision moving to open-source software.
France's culture, agriculture and finance ministries have already signed deals with MandrakeSoft, the company said.
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