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IBM, Brazilian Government Launch Linux Effort 204

Posted by timothy from the where-is-provo-again dept.
chriscooper1470 writes "Here is an update to the Brazilian Government Continues Push for Free Software. Brazil has become the latest country this week to show its support for Linux. Following moves by the UK and Russia, the government of Brazil announced Friday that it has signed a letter of intent with IBM pledging to develop initiatives that will promote the use of Linux in the Latin American country."
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IBM, Brazilian Government Launch Linux Effort More

IBM, Brazilian Government Launch Linux Effort

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  • One day... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by 1010011010 ( 53039 ) on Sunday October 12, 2003 @10:33PM (#7197377) Homepage
    One day the U.S. will be running Microsoft software, and the rest of the world will not.

    Or, Microsoft will stop being such a control freak.

    • like the metric system (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ron_ivi ( 607351 ) <sdotno@cheapcomp ... m ['ces' in gap]> on Sunday October 12, 2003 @10:39PM (#7197393)
      The US seems to like hanging on while the rest of the world moves on.

      • Re:like the metric system (Score:1, Interesting)

        by Anonymous Coward
        The metric system, while more consistent than the English system of measurement, is far from being the best possible system. Planck units are more "scientific" and both base-6 and base-12 systems are better for counting than base ten. If you really want to tilt at windmills, why not try to get the U.S. to adopt Planck units scaled to a power of twelve? It would be better in many ways than SI, and might even appeal to Americans' desire to be first :)
      • well, we're not really a developing country like the others mentioned in this article are. I think the term "stagnating country" is the mot juste.
      • Before you go putting down the U.S. government for not dropping everything to make a very public switch to Open Source, consider that Microsoft is based in the U.S. Do you think Brazil would be doing the same thing if Microsoft were based out of Rio de Janeiro?
    • the U.S. will be running Microsoft software, and the rest of the world will not

      So the new FOSS evangelism tactic is:

      Leader of the pack, or Johnny-come-lately?
      Will your country be the last to adopt Open Source?

      Your alternative proposal is not realistic. Naturally [allaboutfrogs.org].

    • One day the U.S. will be running Microsoft software, and the rest of the world will not.

      It is something of a hobby for me to check out foreign web-sites. I frequently go to GB, IE, AU, PL, assorted South American, Middle Eastern and Asian websites. Many of these websites are run by the big-names of the respective countries.

      What I have noticed is that most websites are inaccessible, unless you have Microsoft Internet Explorer, and even if you can access it, it would look horrible.

      While many big-name webs

    • Linux and other open-source software have a good chance of beating out Windows and commercial software in the Brazilian market simply because Windows and other commercial software is not free there. According to "Tracking Software Piracy Around the World [pcworld.com]", the rate of software piracy in Brazil is 50%. Half of the copies of Windows and other commercial software installed on machines in Brazil were actually paid by the user.

      By contrast, the rate of software piracy in China (which includes Taiwan province [geocities.com]

  • Maybe we should ask Rhode Island, or California (Looks like they will try anything once.)
  • is anyone else imagining a risk board with a plaque of Linus's quote-
    "World Domination- Fast."
    on the bottom, and BillGatus of Borg on the top?

  • What I want to know .... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by El Cubano ( 631386 ) on Sunday October 12, 2003 @10:37PM (#7197389)

    is, given that we are seeing lots of governments adopting or considering adopting F/OSS, how long before document and data interchange in its current form (read: MS Office) becomes enough of a hassle that consumers and businesses will demand software that conforms to open data interchange standards?

    • Short answer?

      A long damn time.

      Long answer?

      Microsoft has built a business based on vendor lockin. They have done this by "embracing and extending" open standards. They are even going to far as to try to do the same thing to motherboard bios. Expect a very long and nasty fight. If they were to start getting crap from German, the UK, and Brazil because MS Office doesn't support OpenOffice, their response would likely be something along the lines of "We'll offer you a great deal on MS Office" or "*the finger
      • Shorter answer?
        As soon as government mandated reports, filings, etc. are required to be filed in readable formats.

        Microsoft is very very good at not being at fault for things.
        Have been. It's starting to catch up with them. In fact, "Always blame Microsoft" is a surprisingly effective strategy. It's not dumb user that click on things they shouldn't, it's Microsoft subtly and not-so-subtly telling them to click on everything.

    • Re:What I want to know .... (Score:4, Informative)

      by Daniel Phillips ( 238627 ) on Monday October 13, 2003 @05:54AM (#7198253)
      given that we are seeing lots of governments adopting or considering adopting F/OSS, how long before document and data interchange in its current form (read: MS Office) becomes enough of a hassle that consumers and businesses will demand software that conforms to open data interchange standards?

      The problem is, there isn't really a suitable format for office documents available just now. The leading candidate there is probably the OASIS Open Office XML Format [oasis-open.org] standardization effort, however I have no idea if that project is progressing in a timely way.

  • We are getting closer to Antarctica... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12, 2003 @10:39PM (#7197392)
    Which is Tux's natural home, after all.
    • Acutally, Tux's home is in Provo, Utah since Novell is now the owner of the logo's copyright (cause they bought Ximian...)

      • Huh? The original Tux design was created by Larry Ewing with "Permission to use and/or modify this image is granted provided you acknowledge me lewing@isc.tamu.edu and The GIMP if someone asks."

        I really doubt that he transfered his copyright to Ximian given that there is no need for that so you are most probably mistaken and Ximian only has the copyright to some derivative of Tux, like anyone making a new image with Tux (but if you are right I would like to have more info about it).

  • Call me Kreskin (Score:3, Funny)

    by bogie ( 31020 ) on Sunday October 12, 2003 @10:51PM (#7197427) Journal
    Next week the Brazilian Government will get fat check for $300 Million for its schools and government. Next they will the option to purchase Windows Xp and Office 2003 for the low low price of two coconuts.

    Letters of intent to develop initiatives probably won't mean much once MS is done with them. Let's hope IBM can keep their foot in the door.
    • ok Kreskin, contrary to what you think, here in Brazil the local currency is not coconuts, but Real (R$), aka "gay money*".

      *obligatory simpsons quote

    • Re:Call me Kreskin (Score:2, Informative)

      by k-s ( 162183 )
      No, you're partially wrong.

      Yes, maybe we get a check from M$.

      But NO, we will not use it, as expected. I say that because this time we have the right person in the right place, and the person is there. So, forget. I know the guy, the guy is my friend and I can surely say that this time we move.

      BTW, it was already happening... it's just confirmed right now. It's not something like others "We're evaluating the possibilities... by far 2010 we will move". It's going on!

      http://www.softwarelivre.gov.br/
      http://

    • Re:Call me Kreskin (Score:2, Informative)

      by rcastro0 ( 241450 )
      Next week the Brazilian Government will get fat check for $300 Million for its schools and government. Next they will the option to purchase Windows Xp and Office 2003 for the low low price of two coconuts.

      Very good point!

      Yet I believe the odds for Linux in Brazil today are much better than one would expect from looking the same country a year ago, or from looking at other Latin American countries.

      In the last semester of 2002 a new president, named Lula, was elected in Brazil. He is the first left-wing

  • That's pretty good... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by gustgr ( 695173 )
    I am brazilian and I am glad to read that but even without the reading we can notice that the Gov. is increasing their support for Linux. I have already installed and configured several servers for brazilian's governament departaments and this is increasing more and more.

    We are an under development country but some deveopled contry should learn a little from us.
  • How high will Mr. Ballmer jump? How quickly can he shout "Developers!"? Maybe this will motivate him to do the encore I'm stil waiting for... it renders beautifully with mplayer, I keep them around for test clips.

  • Ah yes, (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Sevn ( 12012 ) on Sunday October 12, 2003 @11:01PM (#7197456) Homepage Journal
    I know what that sound is. It is the sound of a thousand Microsoft Apologists typing on their keyboards. But they are NOT in fact recreating the complete works of shakespeare. They are preparing to click in the submit button. They'll have enlighting things to say like:

    This means nothing.

    This is a publicity stunt.

    Microsoft will stop them.

    They are just trying to save money.

    Balmer will be on a plane.

    They'll offer huge discounts.

    I hurt my winky.
    And so on. In the end the thing that escapes them is the fact that things like this are happening at all is significant. It is a displayed desire to change things. :) And that my friends is very cool indeed.
  • An uninformed monkey boy rubs his hands with glee.

  • Microsoft isn't worried... (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    They've always got Macedonia [linuxtoday.com].
  • When is IBM going to pledge to develop initiatives that will promote the use of Linux in the US? No this isn't a troll or anything, I just hope that IBM has a good plan (which i'm sure they do considering that their IBM), its just I currently don't see the U.S. government (as a whole) showing any interest in switching over to Open Source. Is IBM just trying to get the rest of the world to change so that the US is forced to change? It sounds great in theory, but whose the only country that still measures in
    • Since MS is a US company, a non-US government would have more incentives to switch than the US government.
    • One of the reasons some goverments are look at linux is that they don't like to see the money they spend on IT going directly abroad to foreign companies, taking money away from local industry. To the US of course this does not apply. MS is the local industry. Instead by using Linux they would be sending money to foreign companies like ehm IBM. Eh.

      Well anyway US goverment has one less incentive then the rest of the world to want to become less dependent on microsoft.

  • The point is... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by BrunoC ( 540199 ) <brunoc&gmail,com> on Monday October 13, 2003 @01:47AM (#7197877)
    Guys... the whole point is: Brazil is a *poor* country! (Yes, I was born and raised in Brasil) We're a poor but *huge* country with *lots* of government driven agencies and government funded companies. It's quite simple: Linux is very suitable for government funded companies/agencies/whatever and it is *free*! It saves us money and we really need that money. The whole poit is: Linux (or any other free software {as in beer} for that matter) saves us a *lot* of money. Is not that our president loves Linus or Stallman, we just want to save some penny, and that's what it is.
  • Let's just hope that the Brazilian government chooses the best computer program and IT solution at any given period of time [pawlo.com], a choice not only depending on license issues.
    • Taxpayer money, spent by a government should be spent so that it benefits the taxpayers the most. So, in which case does it benefit them the most?
      A) Sent to Redmond
      B) Paid to Brazilians providing developing open source software or providing support for it (and thus also developing and mainting technical skills in the country)
      The answer is quite obivous - regardless of which software choice would be better otherwise (TCO or quality).
  • No one ever got fired for going with IBM.
  • Good Things (Lyrics by Andrew Eldritch)

    The cracks appear along the wall wall wall wall wall
    See the people stoop that once stood tall tall tall tall tall
    I see the buildings crumble, see the empires fall
    But I see no more and I don't recall

    Because I see
    Nothing but the good things
    Because I see
    Nothing but the good things
    Because I see
    Nothing but the good things
    Nothing but the good good good good....
    Nothing but the good things

    "..."

    Well nothing ventured nothing lost
    Count the changes count the cost
    A reformation

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