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Re: [LUG] NHS - MS Licensing costs spiral ...

 

On Thu, 2010-07-15 at 16:58 +0100, Gordon Henderson wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Jul 2010, Rob Beard wrote:
> 
> > On 15/07/10 12:11, Gordon Henderson wrote:
> >> 
> >> http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2010/07/15/nhs_microsoft/
> >> 
> >> So they've come to the end of their 9-year special deal which helped
> >> earn Billy Goats a knighthood...
> >> 
> >> Now they may have to pay the full whack or do some serious
> >> re-negotiating it seems, as by now they're too deeply in the depths of
> >> Microsoft to make a change... Or are they? Who knows, but if only they'd
> >> stuck to their guns 9 years ago. Corwards.
> >> 
> >> One intersting quote:
> >> 
> >> "Our source said the only alternative - a move to open source software -
> >> was unlikely to overcome reluctance from staff to move to less familiar
> >> systems."
> >> 
> >> I'm sure a good team of programmers could make something look familiar
> >> if they really needed to...
> >> 
> >> And anyway, what's wrong with change?
> >> 
> >> Gordon
> >> 
> >
> > I was just thinking the same, if they'd made the switch instead of going for 
> > the Microsoft option then everyone would be over the fear of switching to a 
> > new system.  Maybe it's about time that the government said enough is enough 
> > and switch to FLOSS, sure there will be a cost to implement it but I bet in 
> > the long term it'll be a whole lot cheaper than paying up to Â205 million on 
> > licensing costs which it looks like they might well have to find if they 
> > stick with the Microsoft option. Heck even if they couldn't replace 
> > everything with FLOSS, it would certainly save them a huge amount in the long 
> > run.
> 
> What I think I'd like to see is a breakdown of costs - how much is given 
> to MS and how much is given to the companies that write their bespoke 
> software and companies that run their networking...
> 
> I have an appointment for a scan next week, and in the letter they sent 
can you imagine an Xsane department! 

> me, they said that the data would be stored locally and also in a secure 
> storage faciltiy in Kent ... High speed networking, servers, etc. I'm sure 
> it's not all MS... So even if we could get rid of the MS part of it all, I 
> bet the big outsourcers will still charge their small fortunes just to 
> implment their systems again...
> 
> Gordon
Regards

Kevin Lucas
Minions Post Master(Sub) 
Ten Years in the Making!
Po House, Minions,
Liskeard Cornwall 
PL14 5LE
01579363386


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