The government agency that oversees IT use in schools
and colleges has announced a review of the way the education sector
licenses software from Microsoft.
Becta said it would undertake a “value for money review” of
Microsoft's educational licensing programmes and their impact in
the UK.
It said the review would cover the range, scope and cost of
academic licensing models available, assessing the degree to which
they met the needs of UK schools and colleges and represented value
for money.
The review will pay particular attention to Microsoft's
subscription licensing models and “the risks associated with
non-perpetual licences”. It will examine the total costs of exiting
Microsoft licence agreements as well as the alternative risk of
“lock-in”.
Becta will seek to identify mechanisms whereby schools and
colleges could mitigate any risks and protect their investment.
The agency will also consider the educational advantages to
schools and colleges of adopting the updated versions of Microsoft
products to be launched in 2006, including the new Windows Vista
operating system and the Office 12 collaboration suite.
It will consider whether older and current versions of Microsoft
software in use are good enough for now. The review will also
consider what length of software refresh cycle might be suitable
for an institution.
The report will also focus on ways to improve access to
alternatives to Microsoft products to ensure that there is a
freedom of choice.
Owen Lynch, Becta chief executive, said, “Becta has always
recognised the importance of ensuring schools and colleges have
access to a range of products and services which represent good
value for money.
“In areas where a single supplier is dominant, particular
vigilance is necessary to guarantee that this happens and that
schools do not find themselves inadvertently 'locked in' to a
particular supplier via, for example, a licensing mechanism. It's
for this reason we have initiated a review.”
The interim report will be available by June 2006.
Becta said its three year memorandum of understanding with
Microsoft in January 2004 had led to significant price reductions
and continued to provide useful cost savings for the many schools
using Microsoft software.
Additionally, its report in May 2005 identified open-source
software as a cost-effective and efficient solution in schools if
effectively deployed.
Becta has just announced that Andrew Pinder, the prime
minister’s former e-envoy, will become its chair. He should prove a
useful addition as the agency conducts its licensing review.