City of Freiburg reverts to proprietary software - analysis

[Just17]

I failed to find the post about this so have started a new thread.

I recall accessing the report in German - using Google translate - and coming to the conclusion that they did not really want to change.

It appears I am not the only one with this view ......  and this analysis is based on better translation and understanding of the report.

http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/simon-says/2012/12/intended-to-fail/index.htm

Intended To Fail?
The move away from open source solutions by the German city of Freiburg didn't seem to add up. With some help from German friends I've dug into the report - and it is indeed suspect.

[tschommer]

From what I read here, the reasoning is that

The source blames a lack of support for open document standards by other local, regional, federal and European public administrations as the main reason for the failure of the project.

So it seems that everyone would have to switch document formats for this to work.

[Just17]

From what I read here, the reasoning is that

The source blames a lack of support for open document standards by other local, regional, federal and European public administrations as the main reason for the failure of the project.

So it seems that everyone would have to switch document formats for this to work.

Declining to be named, the source says ...

So you would put more credence on this unnamed source than on an analysis of the actual report?

BTW ...  did you read the report?

It makes interesting reading .....  particularly around what they did NOT do to keep things up to date and functioning properly.

If that unnamed source was correct then how did Munich manage ....  on a much larger scale .... to not only change, but to save millions of euros while doing so?

http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/open-source/3413037/linux-migration-has-already-saved-munich-89-million/

[Just17]

Thinking some more about this, I reckon that Freiburg could see themselves used in the future as an example of what not to do, as more and more local authorities and whole countries adopt open standards and open software etc. etc.

Freiburg really stands out when compared to Munich as previously mentioned, and also Portugal and the UK ....  which were the two most recent high profile decisions in the EU that I recall.

A reference to the UK decision and interim result ......  a saving of ~€500 million in six months .....

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-bodies-must-comply-open-standards-principles

[Georgetoon]

From what I read here, the reasoning is that

The source blames a lack of support for open document standards by other local, regional, federal and European public administrations as the main reason for the failure of the project.

So it seems that everyone would have to switch document formats for this to work.

Declining to be named, the source says ...

So you would put more credence on this unnamed source than on an analysis of the actual report?

BTW ...  did you read the report?

It makes interesting reading .....  particularly around what they did NOT do to keep things up to date and functioning properly.

If that unnamed source was correct then how did Munich manage ....  on a much larger scale .... to not only change, but to save millions of euros while doing so?

http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/open-source/3413037/linux-migration-has-already-saved-munich-89-million/

A bit off toic, but form the Munich article:

Munich is planning to migrate from a now-outdated version of OpenOffice, 3.2.1, to LibreOffice next year, said Schuler. After Oracle bought Sun Microsystems, which then managed the OpenOffice.org project, some OpenOffice developers forked the code to create LibreOffice. Oracle has since contributed the OpenOffice.org project to the Apache Foundation.

So, what does this mean for OpenOffice?  Will LO and OO be competing?

[tschommer]

So, what does this mean for OpenOffice?  Will LO and OO be competing?

I don't think OpenOffice would stand a chance.

Btw, I read in another German article that the city of Freiburg was advised by so-called "consultants".

The costs for extending the service agreement regarding M$ Office 2007 would have been around 800,000 Euros. Now the "consultants" have somehow calculated that the costs for the open-source solution are higher than going back to M$ 

Since the public has no say in these matters (it's up to the city officials only), we can guess what's really going on 

[ebvt]

IMHO, just cursorily reading the first pages of the Freiburg report, to compare Munich with Freiburg is apples and oranges. Freiburg's OS clearly seems to be M$, while Munich is running a modified Ubuntu version they call LIMUX as their desktop OS. Freiburg just talks Open Office/Libre Office when they talk about migration.

ebvt

[Just17]

It seems Leipzig is also moving to LO and has consulted with Munich about their move ......  see update near the end of this link .....

http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2012/11/unich-shows-how-open-source-saves-big-money/index.htm