Re: [Sheflug] In response to Microsoft ...

[John Southern <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thursday 27 December 2007 18:59:25 Ted Harding wrote:

> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/05/19/
> ms_in_peruvian_opensource_nightmare
> (all one line; also at: http://tinyurl.com/3abgv )

What a fantastic letter explaining the why Open Source should be used.

While M$ server 2008 is due out soon and Vista is still not making much 
headway - what are M$'s long term plans? Will they just continue with FUD and 
legal threats or will they every release a Linux?

> In view of assorted difficulties with proprietary software
> recently experienced by our own august Lords and Masters,[1]
> perhaps it may be enjoyable reading for them too.
>
> [1] For example, the recent HMRC fiasco in which sensitive
> personal data of about 27,000,000 people were "lost in the
> post" owed much of its impact to the fact that HMRC staff
> were unable to extract only the data they needed from their
> database, unless they paid thousands (about £5,000 I think)
> to EDS so that EDS could provide them with a different
> data-selection template to what they had already. So they
> decided to use what they already had, which pulled out far
> more data than they should have pulled out.

HMRC contract was awarded to Cap Gemini at the end of 2003. Previously it was 
held jointly by EDS and Accenture.
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39157914,00.htm

13th November Cap Gemini announced plans to reduce the HMRC workforce by 20 
per cent (600 staff) 
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/11/13/capgemini_job_cuts/

20th November BBC reported CD loss
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7103566.stm

In the last two months, the news appears to be full of data loss. Is this just 
a bad period or is everyone deciding to release the news in the hope of 
desensitising us so when an ID card does come out we will not mind as much?

John


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