Using open-source software in desktop and server
packages offers no short-term savings. That was the initial finding
of a trial at Newham Council in East London, which pitted
open-source products against proprietary rivals.
As part of the trial, first reported by
Computer Weekly on 21 October, Microsoft provided the council
with consultancy services from Cap Gemini Ernst & Young in an
effort to prove its products offered better value than open-source
alternatives.
Newham Council IT director Richard Steel said, "The tests we
conducted with Cap Gemini Ernst & Young were very helpful as
they substantiated many of the values we already held about open
source. We have yet to come to a conclusion about the longer
term."
The crucial comparisons were for costs beyond the typical
five-year software licensing deals offered by Microsoft, he
added.
Matt Lambert, director of government affairs at Microsoft
Europe, said, "We are glad that they are looking very seriously at
how to gain best cost efficiencies and are pleased that, in the
short term, Microsoft solutions have proved to be the best
value."
Eddie Bleasdale, Linux consultant and director at Net Project,
which set up Newham’s open-source trial, said, "We always advocate
a heterogeneous IT environment when it comes to Linux and
Microsoft.
"Adopting open source would not make savings for Newham in the
short term because the council uses Microsoft Exchange 5.5, and
this does not interface with Linux. Therefore the council would
have to upgrade its systems to cope, incurring extra costs."
Bleasdale added that the council would have to build up its
internal Linux skills, which would add to staff costs. In the
longer term, he said, open source would provide savings.
Newham Council is due to make a decision on its longer-term
option next month. Its choice is likely to be closely watched by
other public-sector organisations.