Governments could save millions by reducing their dependence on a single desktop PC software vendor
Europe’s public administrations are needlessly spending millions by not tackling their dependency on a single proprietary system for their desktop computers and office applications. This has already led to suboptimal choices in licensing for and use of desktop software and desktop IT applications. It is also causing inflated prices for desktop IT solutions while lowering their quality by hindering innovation. Governments may be hoodwinked into believing that switching to a vendor-independent desktop PC infrastructure is costly. However, in the long run, what may be truly expensive are all of Europe’s fifteen million civil servants limited to using the same proprietary platform with no available alternatives, resulting in cost inflation due to a monopoly in government and across society; the risk of long-term data corrosion resulting from limited commitment of commercial vendors to assure data longevity or exceedingly high maintenance costs.
The complete article can be downloaded at the European Commission's Journal of ePractice website. Here is the url: