By Steve Ranger, 18 August 2005 15:02
NEWS Central Scotland Police is replacing parts of its open source infrastructure with Microsoft software following a review of its IT strategy.
The force has signed a three-year, £60,000 per year agreement with Microsoft which will see it replace some open source technologies with Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP and Office for 1,000 users.
Microsoft said that as a result of the deal Central Scotland Police could save 30 per cent on IT maintenance costs, and 25 per cent of IT staff time.
The force said a review of its IT department earlier this year concluded it would get better value by using off-the-shelf packages to reduce the need to customise applications. It would also get greater benefits from better compatibility of its systems with those of its partners.
Implementation of the Microsoft technologies began earlier this month, following Central Scotland Police's involvement in the policing of the G8 Summit.
David Stirling, head of ICT at Central Scotland Police, told silicon.com that since 1999 the force has run Linux domain servers, which also acted as local file servers in that domain or station. Its web servers also ran on Linux, and over time the open-source operating system was also used to run firewalls, mail servers, LDAP and database servers.
"Microsoft will run our domain servers, mail, Active Directory (basically most of the things we get with a standard enterprise agreement). We will run both Linux/OSS web servers and Microsoft web servers, dependent on the application," he explained.
But Stirling said Linux is not being entirely replaced: "Any changes made were done due to interoperability issues. Where there are no such issues and the open source solution best meets the business needs it will be retained."
The force had also been using open source office applications but Stirling said: "As Microsoft Office comes as part of the Enterprise Agreement, it will be used as the force's office software. The changes will be rolled out over the next number of months, the main infrastructure being in place after the New Year."
Microsoft said it will also work with the force on projects including an electronic document management system for better response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
The force had been working on an open source FOI project but Stirling said: "This system was never completed to our satisfaction and the project was terminated."
Comments
There are 10 comments. Join the discussion
1. Simon
"This system was never completed to our satisfaction and the project was terminated." Wow, and that's because it was an open source project, or because it just wasn't run right ?
But seriously, the jist of the article seems to be, "we've stuck with proprietry closed systems and to make life easier we're going to get MS to help us build more closed proprietry systems instead of making their systems interoperable".
2. Lionel A Smith
"...better response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act', now would this be better for the requester or better for the source?
Perhaps the first request under that Act should be to enquire what incentives or pressures were applied to 'assist' the police in making this decision.
Whatever, not exactly 'joined-up-thinking' perhaps.
3. anonymous
Oh, I smell a backhander, nuf said.
It wont just be police cars crashing from now on.
4. Geoffrey Darnton
...goodbye security? .... giving up open source for proprietary means, among other things, surrendering in-house control over some critical aspects of security .... and I hope a very careful look has been taken to see all the background information, normally invisible, that is lurking in all those documents produced with proprietary software.
It must be a strategic need to maintain diversity in platforms and it is encouraging to see this retained .... but I remain convinced that no work requiring high security should be done with proprietary systems.....
5. Ian Hathaway
Perhaps if they would spend more time learning Linux and less time chasing sheep, they could keep their pounds and shilling in the bank instead of shipping them to Seattle, Washington.
6. anonymous
Ian - it is cheeper to pay M$ than it is to learn linux.
although with the freedom of info act it will now be easy to get details of your criminal record, adjust it and check on your mate's wrong dooings
7. Sum Yung Gai (anonymous, obviously)
I, too, smell a rat. Remember that Microsoft is the same company that is not only a convicted monopolist, but also threatened many USA school districts with audits and lots of litigation...unless they signed up for Software Assurance.
The result, as some know, was the heightened adoption of GNU/Linux and K12LTSP in particular (primary education in the USA is called K-12). These schools have not only saved money all the way around, but also are teaching children to be more computer-literate.
I'm amazed that any government agency would do what these "cops" did. It seems that they, too, can be bought by Redmond.
8. Simon Bazley
While I don't approve of this decision, it is understandable. A basic understanding of M$ Systems is pretty much what 'computer literate' means these days.
When I was at university Linux was an awkward toy, and MSDos/Win 3.1 and NT were the power toys that we all wanted to use. Towards the end of the 90's that started to change, and now I bet every university student with an interest in computers has played with linux.
As Linux becomes easier to use, and more of the will-be sysadmins learn to use it, Linux will become cheaper to administrate.
Its only a matter of time.
9. anonymous
I fail to see how their IT maintenance costs will be reduced by 30% and a 25% reduction in staff time by switching to MIcrosoft the likely senario is they will increase by that much if not more.
10. Paul Cox
Could it be just possibly that Microsoft systems provide a superior & more cost effective solution to the requirements of the police force?
Do I smell, no taste, sour grapes from the Linux lobby. Oh do get a life.