<!-- wmLetter_head_start -->
<table align="center" style="empty-cells: show;" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="648"><tr><td style="text-align: left;" align="left"; width="648" height="124" colspan="1" background="cid:top@f2f37e56ce2b09709d42f2531f10c70c"<img id="flashCardImage" src="cid:top@f2f37e56ce2b09709d42f2531f10c70c"></td></tr><tr width="648"><td width="648" style="vertical-align: top;"><div style="padding: 5px; overflow-x: auto; width: 638px;"><!-- wmLetter_head_end --><html><body><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#000000; font-size:10pt;"><div>CW, Glen, et al,</div><div><br></div><blockquote type="cite" style=""><div dir="ltr" style=""><div class="" style=""><div style="">"We weren't just missing out on innovation, we were paying top dollar for yesterday's technology."</div></div></div></blockquote><div style=""><div dir="ltr" style=""><div class="" style=""><div style=""><br></div></div></div></div><div>I agree that the OSS option has been around for while now. It seems there are still many countries (even mine- Liberia) that are yet to grasp the benefits of OSS. While most folks look at the "cost-savings", OSS's ability to enhance innovation is often ignored. I hope others follow this example.</div><div><br></div><div>It's interesting how countries that have a wider "digital divide", and are economically strangulated, tend to gravitate toward costly and proprietary software options. With the kind of progress that OSS has made today, I don't think anyone should ignore it. For example, take a look at UBUNTU; it is as easy to use as Microsoft Windows and it's FREE.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks for the email,</div><div><br></div><div>Carpe diem</div><div><br>Darren </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Darren Wilkins<br></span></strong></div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><em><strong>Chief Technology Officer</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong>Tel:</strong> 011-231-886-703789 (Liberia)<br><strong>Tel:</strong> 011-231-777129092 (Liberia)<br><strong>Tel:</strong> 011-231-886-612440 (Liberia)<br><strong>Tel:</strong> 239-898-3088 (USA)</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong>Tel:</strong> 678-691-0792 (USA)</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong>Tel:</strong> 011234-8023208814 (Nigeria)<br><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><strong>Web</strong>: </span><a style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;" href="http://www.SaharaTechnology.Com">WWW.SaharaTechnology.Com</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></div><div><strong>Social Media</strong><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">: </span><a style="text-decoration: none;" href="http://twitter.com/SaharaTechno" target="_blank"><img style="height: 16px; vertical-align: middle; border: 0px; margin-right: 5px;" src="cid:icon_sm_twitter.gif@e162c8353c0c85fd503b9865e670d6ff" alt=""><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">, </span><a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sahara-Technology-Solutions-SaharaTech/167960449922194" target="_blank"><img style="height: 16px; vertical-align: middle; border: 0px; margin-right: 5px;" src="cid:icon_sm_facebook.gif@9c82c965b0f801183154432cc618004b" alt=""><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </span><br><br><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">"</span><span style="color: #333399;">Our primary duty is to turn challenges into opportunities to ensure competitve advantage and to achieve the bottom line."</span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> -</span><em><strong>DDW</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </div><div><br><br></div>
<blockquote id="replyBlockquote" webmail="1" style="border-left: 2px solid blue; margin-left: 8px; padding-left: 8px; font-size:10pt; color:black; font-family:verdana;">
<div id="wmQuoteWrapper">
-------- Original Message --------<br>
Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] UK Government switch to Open Source<br>
Software<br>
From: CW Mail <<a href="mailto:mail@christopherwilkinson.eu">mail@christopherwilkinson.eu</a>><br>
Date: Sun, February 02, 2014 7:26 am<br>
To: Glenn McKnight <<a href="mailto:mcknight.glenn@gmail.com">mcknight.glenn@gmail.com</a>><br>
Cc: ISOC Chapter Delegates <<a href="mailto:chapter-delegates@elists.isoc.org">chapter-delegates@elists.isoc.org</a>><br>
<br>
Oh! Finally? <div><br></div><div>Hasn't that option been available for a decade or more?</div><div><br></div><div>I recall when the "…<i> </i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><i>you'd never be fired. </i>" syndrome applied to a different company.</span></div><div><font color="#333333" face="arial, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font color="#333333" face="arial, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Regards</span></font></div><div><font color="#333333" face="arial, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font color="#333333" face="arial, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="line-height: 18px;">CW</span></font></div><div><font color="#333333" face="arial, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font color="#333333" face="arial, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br></span></font><div><div>On 02 Feb 2014, at 14:55, Glenn McKnight <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:mcknight.glenn@gmail.com">mcknight.glenn@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite" style="border-left: blue 2px solid; margin-left: 8px; padding-left: 8px;"><div dir="ltr">.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/29/uk-government-plans-switch-to-open-source-from-microsoft-office-suite">http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/29/uk-government-plans-switch-to-open-source-from-microsoft-office-suite</a><div> <br></div><div><div id="mainblock" class="" style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;clear:both;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.98714256286621px;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <div class="" style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">Microsoft Office costs the UK government significant amounts every year, says Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude. Photograph: Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters</div> </div><div class="" style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18.98714256286621px;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"><div style="padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 13px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> Ministers are looking at saving tens of millions of pounds a year by abandoning expensive software produced by firms such as Microsoft.</div><div style="padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 13px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> Some £200m has been spent by the public sector on the computer giant's Office suite alone since 2010.</div><div style="padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 13px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">But the Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude believes a significant proportion of that outlay could be cut by switching to software which can produce open-source files in the "open document format" (ODF), such as OpenOffice and Google Docs.</div><div style="padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 13px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">Document formats are set to be standardised across Whitehall to help break the "oligopoly" of IT suppliers, and improve communications between civil servants.<br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> </div><div style="padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 13px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">The proposal is part of the coalition's drive to make its procurement more effective and efficient.</div><div style="padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 13px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> Speaking at a cross-government event showcasing new <a target="_blank" id="FALINK_2_0_1" class="" href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/29/uk-government-plans-switch-to-open-source-from-microsoft-office-suite#" style="padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-left:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;padding-bottom:1px!important;color:rgb(28,125,255)!important;background-color:transparent!important;border-bottom-color:rgb(28,125,255)!important;border-bottom-style:solid!important;border-bottom-width:1px!important;display:inline!important;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">online</a> services on Wednesday, Maude will say: "The software we use in government is still supplied by just a few large companies. A tiny oligopoly dominates the marketplace.</div><div style="padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 13px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">"I want to see a greater range of software used, so civil servants have access to the information they need and can get their work done without having to buy a particular brand of software.</div><div style="padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 13px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">"In the first instance, this will help departments to do something as simple as share documents with each other more easily. But it will also make it easier for the public to use and share government information. <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">"So we have been talking to users about the problems they face when they read or work with our documents – and we have been inviting ideas from experts on how to solve these challenges." <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">Maude will add: "Technical standards for document formats may not sound like the first shot in a revolution. <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">"But be in no doubt: the adoption of compulsory standards in government threatens to break open Whitehall's lock-in to proprietary formats. In turn we will open the door for a host of other software providers."</div><div style="padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 13px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">Maude will also hail changes designed to increase the number of small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) winning public sector contracts.<br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">He will highlight the creation of CloudStore – an online marketplace for councils and other public bodies to buy software. Up to £10m a month is being spent on the site, with more than half going to SMEs. <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">Saying the proportion of central government procurement from SMEs has risen from 6% in 2010 to more than 10% now, Maude will add: "We know the best technology and digital ideas often come from<a target="_blank" id="FALINK_1_0_0" class="" href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/29/uk-government-plans-switch-to-open-source-from-microsoft-office-suite#" style="padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-left:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;padding-bottom:1px!important;color:rgb(28,125,255)!important;background-color:transparent!important;border-bottom-color:rgb(28,125,255)!important;border-bottom-style:solid!important;border-bottom-width:1px!important;display:inline!important;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">small businesses</a> but too often in the past they were excluded from government work. <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">"In the civil service there was a sense that if you hired a big multi-national, who everyone knew the name of, you'd never be fired. <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">"We weren't just missing out on innovation, we were paying top dollar for yesterday's technology. <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">"One great example of the potential from small businesses was when we re-tendered <a target="_blank" id="FALINK_3_0_2" class="" href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/29/uk-government-plans-switch-to-open-source-from-microsoft-office-suite#" style="padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-left:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;padding-bottom:1px!important;color:rgb(28,125,255)!important;background-color:transparent!important;border-bottom-color:rgb(28,125,255)!important;border-bottom-style:solid!important;border-bottom-width:1px!important;display:inline!important;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">a hosting</a> contract. <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">"The incumbent big supplier bid £4m; a UK-based small business offered to do it for £60,000. <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat"> <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px;border-collapse:collapse;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat">"We saved taxpayers a whopping 98.5%. I don't think we can make savings of that scale everywhere but hard-working people expect us to try as hard as we possibly can."</div> </div><div><div dir="ltr">Glenn McKnight<br><a href="mailto:mcknight.glenn@gmail.com" target="_blank">mcknight.glenn@gmail.com</a><br>skype gmcknight<br>twitter gmcknight<br>.</div></div> </div></div> _______________________________________________<br>As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed<br>to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society<br>Chapter Portal (AMS): <a target="_blank" href="https://portal.isoc.org">https://portal.isoc.org</a></blockquote></div><br></div><hr>_______________________________________________<br>
As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed<br>
to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society<br>
Chapter Portal (AMS): <a href="https://portal.isoc.org">https://portal.isoc.org</a>
</div>
</blockquote></span></body></html><!-- wmLetter_tail_start --></div></td></tr></table><!-- wmLetter_tail_end -->