Dutch government hands over education's keys to Microsoft

[Matthias Kirschner]

We started a campaign in the Netherlands:

The Dutch government wants to tie the country's schools to a single
software vendor for years to come. Dutch students using Free Software
or devices without Silverlight-support will find themselves locked out
of schools' online systems due to the use of proprietary technology
and closed standards. Marja Bijsterveldt, the secretary of education,
recently said that she is unwilling to enforce the Dutch government's
own Open Standards policy on educational institutions. Instead, the
government will accept long-term vendor lock-in of educational
institutions.

Full PR: https://fsfe.org/news/2011/news-20111107-01.en.html
Campaign page: https://fsfe.org/campaigns/nledu/nledu.en.html

Regards,
Matthias

[Sam Liddicott]

ask her why they accepted the post if they are unwilling to fulfil it.
Publicly invite the resignation or to give back half the salary as they are
unable to perform the duties.

Sam

Post by Matthias Kirschner
The Dutch government wants to tie the country's schools to a single
software vendor for years to come. Dutch students using Free Software
or devices without Silverlight-support will find themselves locked out
of schools' online systems due to the use of proprietary technology
and closed standards. Marja Bijsterveldt, the secretary of education,
recently said that she is unwilling to enforce the Dutch government's
own Open Standards policy on educational institutions. Instead, the
government will accept long-term vendor lock-in of educational
institutions.
Full PR: https://fsfe.org/news/2011/news-20111107-01.en.html
Campaign page: https://fsfe.org/campaigns/nledu/nledu.en.html
Regards,
Matthias
--
Matthias Kirschner - FSFE - Fellowship Coordinator, German Coordinator
FSFE, Linienstr. 141, 10115 Berlin, t [phone] [phone]
Free Software is important to you? Join today! (fsfe.org/join)
Weblog (blogs.fsfe.org/mk) - Contact (fsfe.org/about/kirschner)
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[Szakál Péter]

Hi all,

It is a very important topic for us too in Hungary.

10 years ago the lock-in process has been very similar in Hungary:

1. The state has bought a central educational online system which only worked on MS platform.
2. Next year MS declared to the ministry that they have to be payed as the central system is MS based
3. In 2001 the ministry of education signed School&Campus for the whole sector
4. Result: Vendor lock-in for 10 years, all free softwares has been droped out
5. In the past couple of years we (Open SKM - FSF Hungary - ODFA Hungary) had many (more or less unsuccessful) campaign against MS vendor locks.
6. After 10 years we are near to convince the government to end MS vendor lock-in.

I strongly believe that certain and long term changes are now achievable via Europe wide activities.

This could be a good time to start a European/cross nation campaign for free softwares and open software standards in the public sector (education, administration).

Best,
Peter Szakal

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Matthias Kirschner" <mk at fsfe.org>
To: discussion at fsfeurope.org
Sent: Monday, November 7, 2011 10:52:33 AM
Subject: Dutch government hands over education's keys to Microsoft

We started a campaign in the Netherlands:

The Dutch government wants to tie the country's schools to a single
software vendor for years to come. Dutch students using Free Software
or devices without Silverlight-support will find themselves locked out
of schools' online systems due to the use of proprietary technology
and closed standards. Marja Bijsterveldt, the secretary of education,
recently said that she is unwilling to enforce the Dutch government's
own Open Standards policy on educational institutions. Instead, the
government will accept long-term vendor lock-in of educational
institutions.

Full PR: https://fsfe.org/news/2011/news-20111107-01.en.html
Campaign page: https://fsfe.org/campaigns/nledu/nledu.en.html

Regards,
Matthias

[Matthias Kirschner]

Hello Peter,

thanks for the update from Hungary.

Post by Szakál Péter
5. In the past couple of years we (Open SKM - FSF Hungary - ODFA
Hungary) had many (more or less unsuccessful) campaign against MS
vendor locks.

Can you describe the different campaigns, and tell us from your
experience why some of them failed and other were successful?

Post by Szakál Péter
This could be a good time to start a European/cross nation campaign
for free softwares and open software standards in the public sector
(education, administration).

It would be perfect if you push now in Hungary again. We defenetely want
to work on other countries, if everything works out in the Netherlands
(perhaps even if it does not work out). If we find volunteers in other
countries we can start there, too.

Best Regards,
Matthias

[simo]

Post by Matthias Kirschner
The Dutch government wants to tie the country's schools to a single
software vendor for years to come. Dutch students using Free Software
or devices without Silverlight-support will find themselves locked out
of schools' online systems due to the use of proprietary technology
and closed standards. Marja Bijsterveldt, the secretary of education,
recently said that she is unwilling to enforce the Dutch government's
own Open Standards policy on educational institutions. Instead, the
government will accept long-term vendor lock-in of educational
institutions.
Full PR: https://fsfe.org/news/2011/news-20111107-01.en.html
Campaign page: https://fsfe.org/campaigns/nledu/nledu.en.html
Regards,
Matthias

Wow, hugely smart move given Microsoft itself basically said Silverlight
is a dead platfrom ...

Simo.

[Matthias Kirschner]

Post by simo
Wow, hugely smart move given Microsoft itself basically said Silverlight
is a dead platfrom ...

Do you have a reference on that?

Thanks,
Matthias

[simo]

Post by Matthias Kirschner

Post by simo
Wow, hugely smart move given Microsoft itself basically said Silverlight
is a dead platfrom ...

Do you have a reference on that?

Sorry I do not have authoritative references.
It may be an undead product ;-)

Simo.

[Matthias Kirschner]

Post by simo

Post by Matthias Kirschner

Post by simo
Wow, hugely smart move given Microsoft itself basically said Silverlight
is a dead platfrom ...

Do you have a reference on that?

Sorry I do not have authoritative references.
It may be an undead product ;-)

How can you kill undead products? Silver bullets? ;)

SCNR,
Matthias

[P.B.]

Post by simo

Post by Matthias Kirschner
Do you have a reference on that?

Sorry I do not have authoritative references.
It may be an undead product ;-)

It's been designed as a Flash concurrence, but I've never heard of
anyone actually writing for it - and not yet browsed a single website
using it.

So I think I know what simo means...

But: That's just a feeling ;)

Pb

[Stefano Maffulli]

2011/11/7 Matthias Kirschner <mk at fsfe.org>

Post by Matthias Kirschner

Post by simo
Wow, hugely smart move given Microsoft itself basically said Silverlight
is a dead platfrom ...

Do you have a reference on that?

Microsoft only said that its strategy 'shifted' to HTML5 only for web
development, while SL will still be used in other cases. References:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-our-strategy-with-silverlight-has-shifted/7834
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/11/silverlight-html5-and-microsofts-opaque-development-strategy.ars

Is it dead? In my eyes it was never born but it's hard to sell this
argument to a politician that just bought it.

/stef
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[Michael Kesper]

Hi,

Post by Stefano Maffulli
Microsoft only said that its strategy 'shifted' to HTML5 only for web

The whole documentation on office.microsoft.com uses Silverlight.
So I think they changed their mind again...

Best wishes
Michael
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[Thomas Jost]

Post by Michael Kesper
Hi,

Post by Stefano Maffulli
Microsoft only said that its strategy 'shifted' to HTML5 only for web

The whole documentation on office.microsoft.com uses Silverlight.
So I think they changed their mind again...
Best wishes
Michael

Or maybe not:
http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/9/2548975/microsoft-may-halt-development-work-on-silverlight-after-next-release
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/will-there-be-a-silverlight-6-and-does-it-matter/11180

At least one thing is certain concerning the future of Silverlight:
nothing is certain.

Regards,

[Szakál Péter]

Hi Matthias,

It would be quite difficult to describe our last 3 years in a couple of lines.

Still I got some links with english content explaining quite well what happened in Hungary:

http://www.theserverside.com/news/thread.tss?thread_id=49451
http://www.osor.eu/news/hu-government-withdraws-tender-requesting-proprietary-software


I'm absolutely open to cooperate in the future.
We continue of course to push here, I'll update you as soon as I have any news.

Peter

----- Eredeti ?zenet -----
Felad?: "Matthias Kirschner" <mk at fsfe.org>
C?mzett: discussion at fsfeurope.org
Elk?ld?tt ?zenetek: H?tf?, 2011 November 7 14:49:15
T?rgy: Re: Dutch government hands over education's keys to Microsoft

Hello Peter,

thanks for the update from Hungary.

Post by Szakál Péter
5. In the past couple of years we (Open SKM - FSF Hungary - ODFA
Hungary) had many (more or less unsuccessful) campaign against MS
vendor locks.

Can you describe the different campaigns, and tell us from your
experience why some of them failed and other were successful?

Post by Szakál Péter
This could be a good time to start a European/cross nation campaign
for free softwares and open software standards in the public sector
(education, administration).

It would be perfect if you push now in Hungary again. We defenetely want
to work on other countries, if everything works out in the Netherlands
(perhaps even if it does not work out). If we find volunteers in other
countries we can start there, too.

Best Regards,
Matthias