Commission looks to limit reliance on Microsoft

By Peter Chapman

Date: 27/11/03

IT's official. Microsoft does not have a dominant position in the EU - and its market share may be set to diminish. At least, that is, when it comes to supplying its wares inside the European Commission, which is currently investigating the software giant for possible breaches of EU competition law.

For proof that Microsoft does not reign supreme in the EU executive, one need look no further than José Marin, head of the Commission's Luxembourg-based office systems and technical support unit, for hard evidence.

Marin's outfit is responsible for providing the Commission's 29,000 workstations and servers, required for typical desktop applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, email, web browsing and anti-virus technology.

Marin explains that the Commission does not deal with Bill Gates' empire directly. Instead, officials buy via specially selected "large account resellers" who supply the software, install it and provide after-sales service. Currently, Siemens has the contract after winning the last call for tender.

But Marin, responding to requests for information from MEPs, says Microsoft products form a relatively small share of the Commission's final bill with the German electronics giant.

"As far as Microsoft's products alone are concerned, under the terms of the existing contractual arrangements, the total annual cost of this central office automation infrastructure can be estimated at €226 per user.

"This cost covers the licences for the operating system and the application software run on servers and workstations.

"This amount corresponds to approximately 7% of the total yearly cost of €3,173 per user required for the operation of the office automation environment; the remaining 93% includes software from other editors, hardware, network connectivity and the infrastructure needed to connect to information systems," added Marin.

The IT chief said the Commission is also actively looking at ways to further reduce its use of Microsoft programs, by running the rule over far-cheaper so-called open source software, or OSS, alternatives, such as Linux Open Office.

Marin said the Commission "in cooperation with the other EU institutions, closely follows the evolution of the OSS solutions in the office automation area, and at present is carrying out a pilot experience of such solutions".

He said open source systems are actively supported in some sectors, such as information systems, for example where the Commission might link-up with public administrations in member states, "where OSS is becoming the preferred platform".

Moreover, open source options are already on an equal footing with Microsoft and other "proprietary solutions" for all deals awarded on a "value-for- money basis".

The tangible result of this strategy is the recommendation to use "well known and stable OSS products" such as Apache or Linux server products.

Some of the Commission's own directorates-general use Apache web servers for their internal "intranets", he added.

However, Marin insisted the time was not ripe for the Commission to turn its back on Microsoft for fonctionnaires' desktop PCs, even though some experts say the products are less secure, or offer built-in back-door access for US security services to probe data.

"The Commission's current view is that, in the office automation area, Linux Open Office and other OSS solutions are not yet mature enough for use in a business environment with extremely tight requirements such as those of the Commission - as opposed to the education and research environment," said Marin.

Bill Gates can breathe a sigh of relief - at least before Competition Commissioner Mario Monti delivers his verdict.

Feature looks at the extent that the European Commission uses Microsoft software.