British Airways sets up tech innovation unit, Dec 03, 2007

British Airways (BA) has set up a special innovation unit to explore ways the airline can use web 2.0, shareware and open source technologies.

The cost of upgrading to Windows Vista is forcing more organizations to evaluate alternatives including Apple Macs and Linux for the desktop.

... almost one-third of the 39 Windows holes were high severity, and 20 were medium severity. Just two of the 208 Red Hat Linux security holes discovered were high severity

Linux is unlikely ever to be a viable alternative to Microsoft's Windows on the desktop for corporate IT departments, according to CIOs in the United Kingdom.

The NHS is aiming to save £75m over three years as part of a new software deal with Novell that will make it easier for health service IT departments to switch to open source.

HP and IBM are trying to ensure open source software is used to run the Beijing games, but a lack of local expertise could leave the move stuck in the starting blocks

Open source is still up to five years away from mainstream use in enterprise IT infrastructures, despite the progress made in the commercialisation of the platform, according to analyst Gartner.

Cost, security and dissatisfaction with Microsoft will drive almost two-thirds of local authorities to increase their use of open source software over the next three years, according to new research.

Amazon will use Cognos' Linux-based reporting and analytics software as well as planning tools for its finance and operational organizations. The move reaffirms Amazon's commitment to open source after switching to a Linux-based infrastructure from Windows several years ago.

Leicester's De Montfort University is ditching Microsoft and Unix for a SUSE Linux-based platform from Novell for its server infrastructure as part of a wider strategic plan to streamline its IT operations.

A Scottish police force is extending its commitment to open-source software by developing a Linux-based system for ensuring it complies with the impending Freedom of Information Act legislation

Microsoft has dismissed high-profile European government defections to open source, but acknowledged that Europe will be a key battleground between Windows and Linux.

Speaking to Silicon.com at the TechEd 2004 conference in Amsterdam this week, Microsoft's European general manager, Philippe Dumont, said there are cultural reasons for some governments wanting to limit dependency on U.S.-based multinationals.

"What we have in Europe is a different situation to the U.S. We have a better job to do explaining and demonstrating the added value Microsoft has as a local company," Dumont said. "We need to make sure we have less of these emotional debates around a move to Linux and open source creating independence from the U.S. We need to get back into more of a rational discussion about what is the cost of running Linux and open source."

Microsoft will appeal the European Commission's record €497m fine and ask the courts to suspend the antitrust sanctions imposed on it until a final judgement is reached.

Brad Smith, general counsel for Microsoft, said in a conference call that a final ruling is likely to drag on for many years yet.

"This case has another four or five years of litigation ahead of it," he said. "The EC has had the first word but the European courts will have the final word."