Another municipallity chalenges Microsoft

City of Roedovre (Rødovre) is the next municipality in Denmark to challenge Microsoft on expensive software licenses.

From today, employees at the city hall will use OpenOffice.org in conjunction with their case- and document handling system.

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=da&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.business.dk%2Farticle%2F20091109%2Ftechmobil%2F91108011%2F&sl=da&tl=en&history_state0=

More Danish municipalities under way

Just to let you know, we are experiencing a very important breakthrough in the municipalities right now.

City of Gribskov has been using OpenOffice for a few years.

City of Tønder has been using OpenOffice in schools for about a year.

City of Lyngby-Taarbæk has decided to use OpenOffice in schools. According to the local newspaper this is only the first step towards a compete change from MS to OpenOffice in the administration as well. A few translated articles on my earlier post here: http://lodahl.blogspot.com/2009/10/mayor-says-it-is-fully-comparable-with.html. Even the Mayor is happy ;-)

Another city close to Copenhagen is about to implement a new version of a Case- and Document Handling System, that integrates OpenOffice into it. From then, more than 90% of new documents will be produced with OpenOffice. Expected to be implemented beginning of November this year. (I will talk
about this case at OOoCon this year).

Besides this, I expect that at least a few more cities will follow this trend in the very near future.

Microsoft reactions:
Microsoft is cutting down the price for Office. Poor guys. The only reaction they can think of at the moment is telling FUD and lies about OpenOffice.org - about how OpenOffice is so old fashioned and
lacks functionality. We are trying to revert the discussion back against MS claiming that what they call old fashion is what people call a good and robust UI.

The mayor says: It is fully comparable with commercial systems!

When OpenOffice became operational last Wednesday ,the mayor Rolf Aagaard-Svendsen (K) was happy with the prospect of reducing the cost of software. Rolf Aagaard-Svendsen said:

There are many advantages to this. Among other things, it's free. The system is fully comparable with commercial systems

English translation of newspaper article:
http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=da&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Flyngby-taarbaek.lokalavisen.dk%2Farticle%2F20091005%2FARTIKLER%2F710069782&sl=da&tl=en&history_state0=&swap=1

Eventually it is the plan that the municipal administration will switch from Microsoft Office with OpenOffice.

English translation of newspaper article: http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=da&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Flyngby-taarbaek.lokalavisen.dk%2Farticle%2F20090930%2FARTIKLER%2F710019956&sl=da&tl=en&history_state0=&swap=1

Yet another city

Lyngby-Taarbaek switches to OpenOffice: Will prevent illegal downloading

All students and teachers in Lyngby-Taarbaek Municipality is now offered free office suite OpenOffice. It may be the same, and students are not tempted to illegal downloads of Microsoft Office, says the CIO.

Danish news (translated by Google): http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=da&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.version2.dk%2Fartikel%2F12299-lyngby-taarbaek-skifter-til-openoffice-vil-undgaa-ulovlig-download&sl=da&tl=en&history_state0=da%7Cen%7CLyngby-Taarb%25C3%25A6k%2520skifter%2520til%2520OpenOffice%253A%2520Vil%2520undg%25C3%25A5%2520ulovlig%2520download%250A%250AAlle%2520elever%2520og%2520l%25C3%25A6rere%2520i%2520Lyngby-Taarb%25C3%25A6k%2520Kommune%2520tilbydes%2520nu%2520den%2520gratis%2520kontorpakke%2520Openoffice.%2520Den%2520kan%2520det%2520samme%252C%2520og%2520eleverne%2520fristes%2520ikke%2520til%2520ulovlig%2520download%2520af%2520Microsoft%2520Office%252C%2520lyder%2520argumentet.%2520

Municipality saves 1 million per year

Michel van der Linden is head of IT in Municipality of Gribskov in Denmark. In this article he explains how the municipality changed from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice some years ago. Initially they saved about two million Danish Kroner and later one million per year.

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=da&js=n&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.computerworld.dk%2Fart%2F51087&sl=da&tl=en

Michel will talk at the Danish OpenOffice conference in Odense on April 30th. http:/www.osl.dk.