• PC World
• » Software
• » Operating Systems

More Diversity, More Security

Security is another prime motivator behind the growing interest in Linux, government users say. Systems built on software from a single vendor are more vulnerable to attack than systems integrating software from different sources, some officials contend. When the German Federal Ministry of the Interior in Berlin last week announced a government deal with IBM to purchase hardware and software products that support Linux, the official who signed the deal said that the switch to open source would avoid a "mono" IT environment, which is more susceptible to attack.

Some commercial vendors like IBM have been able to take advantage and even fuel the interest in open-source software, particularly Linux. IBM, which invested $1 billion in 2001 alone in open-source projects, mainly developing systems to run on Linux, boasts some 75 customers in various governments that are using products from IBM that run the Linux operating system.

The China Post Office, for instance, has struck a deal with IBM to run Linux at 1200 branch offices. In addition, the China government works with Beijing-based Red Flag Software to install Red Flag Linux on some government computers.

IBM has about 130 other potential government customers that are looking into using Linux, said Ralph Martino, vice president of strategy at IBM.

The Giant and the Governments

As governmental interest in open-source software increases, it has spurred Microsoft to strengthen ties to governments, and offer deals. The company was able to nip an incipient move to open source technology in Mexico, for example, by pledging funds for the country's e-Mexico project.

Microsoft officials in the United States declined to be interviewed for this story, but issued a statement saying that the company "is committed to helping governments develop strong, sustainable IT infrastructures that deliver ease of use, value through innovative technology, a clear road map for future development and access to source code to improve security and implementation."

Microsoft is no stranger to dealing with governments, since its dominance in the desktop software market has sparked inquiries and lawsuits. In the United States, federal and state lawmakers have been investigating the company's business practices for more than 10 years. One result was a federal antitrust suit, which led to a 2000 ruling that Microsoft violated federal law by abusing monopoly power in the desktop operating system market to thwart competition.

Shared Source?

The issue of source code, too, has made its way into the legal arena. The nine U.S. states and the District of Columbia, which have declined to participate in a settlement with Microsoft in the federal antitrust suit, have asked that Microsoft hand over the source code to its Internet Explorer Web browser.

Though Microsoft has called such proposals drastic, there are signs that it sees some benefit to the concept of sharing code. Last year it launched a program it called the Shared Source Initiative. It allows customers in academia and the government to access the source code for Microsoft products to use for testing and reviewing application development.

Austria became the first government to take part in the initiative, gaining access to the code for Windows XP, according to a December 2001 statement from Microsoft.

Productivity Pitfalls

Microsoft is also helped by the fact that on the desktop, there are few open-source productivity applications equipped to knock Microsoft products from their dominant perch.

Many of the latest switches taking place at the government level deal with software designed for high-powered servers. The one desktop software product with open-source roots that has shown some promise as an alternative to Microsoft's Office suite comes from Sun Microsystems. Called StarOffice, the desktop productivity software competes with Microsoft Office. The free open-source version of the product is called OpenOffice.

"The challenge of course is that the software may not be as functional or as easy to use as the closed-source alternatives," said IDC's Kusnetzky. "If you look at the function-by-function comparison of Microsoft Office and Star Office, for instance, Microsoft Office does quite a bit more."

In Finland, where the government has been testing StarOffice and OpenOffice for use by some of its government agencies, early results reveal some incompatibilities for users trying to open Microsoft Office documents in the open-source alternative. "We recommended open source only for people who don't exchange documents with other people," said Arja Terho, a counsellor in Finland's Ministry of Finance.

Too Much Linux Love?

Government plans to mandate or promote the use of open source also have a variety of critics, including some within the open-source community. At least one local Linux developer in Taiwan believes that the government's efforts to boost Linux through government support may be misguided.

"Something should not be entitled to get financing from the government just because it's called Linux," said Sean Lee, sales and marketing director at Linux developer eRexi in Taipei. Instead of blanket support for Linux, Lee said, the government should target specific needs in discrete areas of public administration.

In Perú, some local developers say the proposed "free software" bill would harm the country's own developers of commercial software.

Going Mainstream

As the debate continues, the open-source technology at the center of the issue continues to gain steam. IBM continues to test and develop Linux systems, as have major vendors such as Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and Sun. As a result, the once-enigmatic software movement might soon grow out of its mystique, according to Larry Augustin, chief executive office of VA Software, which was founded as a Linux company before mounting losses forced it to exit the business.

"Linux is moving from being something specialized to being just another operating system on the list," he said. For the sake of computer users everywhere, he said, that's a good thing.

IDG News Service correspondents John Blau in Düsseldorf, Germany, and Sumner Lemon in Taipei contributed to this report.

• See more like this:
• linux,
• open source,
• open-source,
• operating system,
• OS,
• government,
• microsoft,
• Germany,
• France,
• Finland,
• the Philippines,
• South Korea,
• China,
• security,
• competition,
• productivity,
• free software