I bet the manager who signed off on this decision is already out the door. From omg! ubuntu! (a linux news website):
CERN Ditches Microsoft to ‘Take Back Control’ with Open Source Software
CERN is best known for pushing the boundaries of science and understanding, but the famed research outfit’s next major experiment will be with open-source software.
The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, better known as CERN, and also known as home of the Large Hadron Collider, has announced plans to migrate away from Microsoft products and on to open-source solutions where possible.
Why? Increases in Microsoft license fees.
Microsoft recently revoked the organisations status as an academic institution, instead pricing access to its services on users. This bumps the cost of various software licenses 10x, which is just too much for CERN’s budget.
Very stupid decision on many levels. Bad publicity - the "cool factor" of CERN is off the charts. This move looks bad to geeks around the world. Bad decision - CERN is an academic institution. Sure, it gets government money but the experiments were designed by Physicists working at various Universities around the world. Bad management - this is going to cut into the bottom line of MSFT - yanking the rug out from under CERN might prompt other large organizations to re-consider their "investment" in MSFT products. Bad optics - this makes MSFT look to be a corporate bully. The world of Open Source Software has matured - a LOT - in the last ten years. There are very viable replacements for every Microsoft product except maybe for their gaming platform. These replacements are free and the source code is published so tweaks or modifications can be made to better suit a particular environment.
Bad Microsoft. No biscuit.
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