Heiko Recktenwald on Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:47:32 +0200 (CEST) |
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<nettime> Microsoft etc in Kerala |
Indian State to Bypass Microsoft ?Monopoly? http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/29/business/worldbusiness/29cnd-india.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1156888810-O3P3tUksepM9I8LiHCqkNQ Voila: By AMELIA GENTLEMAN, International Herald Tribune Published: August 29, 2006 NEW DELHI, Aug.29 ? In a new attack on multinational corporations, the Communist government in India?s southern state of Kerala is campaigning to eliminate Microsoft from use in public institutions, just weeks after it imposed a ban on Coca-Cola and Pepsi. As part of a drive against ?monopolistic? organizations, schools and public offices across the state are being encouraged to install free software systems instead of purchasing Microsoft?s Windows programs. ?It is well-known that Microsoft wants to have a monopoly in the field of computer technology. Naturally, being a democratic and progressive government, we want to encourage the spread of free software,? M. A. Baby, the state?s education minister, said by telephone. Microsoft was not being banned, he said, but the government was actively encouraging Kerala?s 12,500 schools to switch to the Linux operating system, available around the world free of charge. The news will further unsettle foreign investors in this state. Also this month, Kerala imposed a sweeping ban on the sale and production of Coke and Pepsi after an environmental watchdog based in Delhi said their soft drinks contained unhealthy levels of pesticides. Less comprehensive bans were introduced in six other states across India. Mr. Baby said the announcement was not part of an ideological campaign against Western-made products. ?We have great respect for the contribution made by the United States and its European allies in the fields of art and literature and culture,?? he said. ?At the same time we are not happy with the monopolistic and imperialistic moves, both in political and economic spheres, made by these nations.? With its population of 32 million, Kerala is one of India?s smaller states, but Microsoft said it represented an important market. The state has a literacy rate of more than 90 percent, much higher than the national average of about 65 percent, and is known to be innovative in its promotion of computer literacy. About 30,000 computers are already in use in schools across the state, and the Education Ministry said about 600,000 students opted to take free software training classes this year. In a written statement, Microsoft?s public sector head in India, Rohit Kumar, said the company had tried to keep its prices low to make them accessible to schools, selling one version of Windows for between $25 and $30 per computer. ?Under the School Agreement program, Microsoft has successfully created a very competitive pricing-value model, keeping in mind the financial constraints that beleaguer most educational institutions,? Mr. Kumar said. Financial, rather than ideological, reasons may be at the root of the state?s decision to promote free software. The Education Ministry has an annual budget of 40 million rupees, or $1.86 million, to promote computer technology among the one million students, aged between 5 and 15, currently at school ? a sum that will be stretched as Mr. Baby attempts to fulfill his ambition of making all the state?s ?schoolchildren computer literate.? # distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission # <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: majordomo@bbs.thing.net and "info nettime-l" in the msg body # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime@bbs.thing.net