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[News] BECTA Still Against Microsoft OOXML

Becta's response to the approval of Office Open XML

,----[ Quote ]
| During the standard approval process Becta wrote to the British Standards 
| committee responsible for co-ordinating the UK’s response to the proposed 
| Office Open XML standard asking that it considers carefully whether two 
| different ISO standards was the best outcome that could be achieved in this 
| important area. We were clear that the interests of non technical users 
| (including most teachers and parents) would be best served by a single 
| standard which accommodated the existing Open Document Format (ODF) 
| specification, and any extensions necessary to provide the required 
| compatibility with various legacy Microsoft formats.        
| 
| [...]
| 
| The issue of the interoperability with MS Office 2007 was a key factor 
| underpinning Becta’s October 2007 complaint to the Office of Fair Trading 
| (OFT), now superseded by the European Commission’s ongoing investigation.  
`----

http://news.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=35948&page=1657&catID=1632


Recent:

Microsoft Tax on Linux in Schools must end says Becta

,----[ Quote ]
| This relates to circumstances where schools using Microsoft’s School 
| Agreement licensing model, are required to pay Microsoft licensing fees for 
| computers based on Linux, or using OpenOffice.org. Finding ourselves in a 
| position whereby a school pays (say) £169 for a device only to be faced with 
| for example a £30 per year after year payment to Microsoft, for a system that 
| is not running any of their software would just not be acceptable to Becta. 
| Indeed I don’t think many people would consider that fair.      
`----

http://www.siriusit.co.uk/myblog/microsoft-tax-on-linux-in-schools-must-end-says-becta.html


Related:

Becta has a lot to learn

,----[ Quote ]
| Rather than investing time and energy into helping to promote real 
| alternatives to Redmond's hold on school IT, Becta is simply using the OFT as 
| a negotiating tool. Like many organisations, Becta seems incapable of 
| thinking outside a Microsoft-defined box.   
`----

http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/comment/0,1000002985,39290249,00.htm


Another false dawn for open source in UK schools?

,----[ Quote ]
| “Mark Taylor of the Open Source Consortium pressure group said: ‘This is a 
| mini-step in the right direction but what Becta is actually doing is keeping 
| Microsoft in front of the market to the exclusion of alternatives.’ He 
| claimed Becta’s complaint is part of the process of negotiating a new 
| contract for  the use of Microsoft technology in schools and will therefore 
| only add to the visibility of Microsoft in the market.”      
`----

http://blogs.the451group.com/opensource/2007/10/22/another-false-dawn-for-open-source-in-uk-schools/


Lawmaker blasts U.K. government on Microsoft policy

,----[ Quote ]
| "A member of Parliament of the United Kingdom has launched a stinging
| attack on the U.K. government's IT strategy, saying that it has given
| Microsoft too much control.
| 
| John Pugh, who is a member of Parliament, or MP, for Southport and a
| member of the Public Accounts Committee, was speaking in an
| adjournment debate on Tuesday that he had called. The aim of the
| debate, he said, was to explore the alternatives to using Microsoft
| software, including open source."
| 
| [...]
`----

http://www.news.com/Lawmaker-blasts-U.K.-government-on-Microsoft-policy/2100-1012_3-6212721.html
http://tinyurl.com/2ashm2


Becta's schools software scheme reported to EC

,----[ Quote ]
| An advisor to Becta, the education technology quango, has complained
| to the European Commission about its procurement process for firms
| to provide online learning platforms and content to British schools.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/08/becta_ec_complaint/


Microsoft's academic licensing programmes: Interim report with recommendations
for improving value for money

,----[ Quote ]
| Summary and recommedations:... This interim report sets out the 
| initial findings of Becta's review, which concluded that Microsoft's 
| licensing arrangements in the education sector are characterised by:
| 
|     * Significant potential for institutions to find themselves 
|      'locked in' to Microsoft's subscription licensing arrangements
|     * Very significant complexity leading to a lack of 
|       understanding at institution level that has resulted in
|       widespread use of inappropriate licensing strategies
| 
| Becta found that the range of subscription licensing models available 
| to the academic sector was more restrictive than those available
| generally, and that it was very difficult for educational 
| institutions to identify crucial information on the costs of 
| exiting their Microsoft agreement by converting from a subscription 
| payment to a perpetual license (the buy-out cost).
| 
| Becta further identified that these buy-ouot costs were 
| significant....In respect of avoiding potential lock-in, Becta 
| found that ... academic customers have no access to a version of 
| a Microsoft subscription agreement that automatically grants a 
| right to use the software in perpetuity....
| 
| Microsoft's subscription licensing agreements are all or nothing: 
| in other words, if a school wants to cover any of its ICT estate 
| using a subscription agreement, it must cover all its 'eligible 
| PCs'. Microsoft has set the definition of an eligible PC as any 
| computer with a specification of a PII processor or higher (the 
| Pii was launched in 1997). The eligible PC definition also includes 
| Apple Macintosh computers (G3 or higher). This approach results 
| in over-licensing, double licensing and other anomolies.
`----

http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=28197&page=1835


Local Authorities avoid Becta framework as Europe opens investigation

,----[ Quote ]
| Local Authorities are avoiding the use of Becta's framework 
| procurement for Learning Platforms, while the European 
| Commission has formally registered Alpha Learning's 
| complaint that the framework failed to comply with 
| European regulations for public procurement.
`----

http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=9549


OSC joins criticism of UK education's attitude to open source

,----[ Quote ]
| Open Source Consortium president, Mark Taylor, has been in contact to
| voice its opinion on the controversy surrounding Becta's purchasing
| frameworks and the adoption of open source adoption in UK schools.
|
| In short, it doesn't make happy reading for Becta. "The essence of
| our concern is that they're saying one thing and actually pursuing
| policies that are exclusive," he said. "Becta's own research shows there
| are major benefits [with open source], however the reality of the
| framework is that it excludes both products and services."
`---- 

http://www.businessreviewonline.com/os/archives/2006/11/osc_joins_criti.html


UK Government criticised for stifling open source in schools 

,----[ Quote ]
| MP Pugh reckons shcools should support independent or open source
| software firms. He says, "In my experience a school is a key part
| of the community and as such has a role to play in the economy of
| that community. By supporting SMEs the local high-technology
| industry will be encouraged which will benefit everyone."
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36464


Becta under fire for procurement framework

,----[ Quote ]
| Nineteen MPs have accused a government agency of restricting the
| procurement of software in schools.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/29/becta_procurement_criticised/


MPs criticise government roadblocks to Open Source adoption in schools

,----[ Quote ]
| The UK Government's own studies have shown savings of up to 60% can be
| made by schools and colleges using Open Source software. Despite this
| clear advantage, some MPs believe the software procurement frameworks
| from Becta and official advice from DfES effectively locks out the us
| of free, Open Source software.
`----

http://opensourceblog.itproportal.com/?p=220

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