"By 2007, over 400,000 computer workstations in the French central administration will be using the OpenOffice2 office suite."

More: http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/5695/469

Meeting notes from 1st September 2006. Facilitated by David Symons, presentation by Justin Freeman.

FOSSACT introductions

We had just over 30 people attend this months meeting, with at least 20 new faces. So quite a good turn-out. David introduced the FOSSACT committee members and then each attendee introduced themselves.

FOSSACT discussion items:

1. What FOSSACT aims to be:
• A forum: One that facilitates FOSS services providers and users to get to know each other so that collaborative relationships may form.
• An advocacy group: Taking the message regarding Free and Open Source Software to the Canberra business and government community.
• An information provider: Introducing members to FOSS technologies that may be of interest to their own business and/or offerings.
• A point of contact: A place that people/organisations can come to for information regarding providers of local support for their own FOSS endeavours.
2. FOSSACT Business Services Register: Call-out to list of service providers to register for listing on fossact.org.au
3. Mailing list: Do we need one? YES! Register here.
   
4. FOSSACT association: Registering FOSSACT as an association with paid memberships, just an update that this is being investigated and why paid membership is important (paying for room hire primarily)
5. Software Freedom Day: Information to attendees and service providers wanting to be included on the flyer. Read more here.

30min presentation - Email and Calendar alternatives to Microsoft Exchange using Open Source Software

Justin Freeman from Agileware discussed the alternatives to Microsoft Exhange using open source software and demonstrated Zimbra and discussed Scalix. As well as a bit of OpenSUSE XGL and VMWare goodness.

Unfortunately, the Scalix demonstration would not work so that'll be another presentation in the near future!

Feedback from attendees on the Zimbra demonstration could be summed as simply: WOW!

CD's of the Zimbra source code and documentation library were given away at the end of the presentation.

Presentation resources are listed below:

1. Agileware Presentation (PDF)
2. Zimbra website
3. Zimbra Presentation (PDF)
4. Scalix website
5. Scalix Whitepaper (PDF)

Other Items

• Open discussion, problems, questions/answers, help required, requests for future presentations
• Presentation for next meeting - AppArmor on Friday, 6th October
  
• Reminder to register and post news on the fossact.org.au website and join the mailing list!
• Special thanks gpes out to Andrew Smith from Cool Chilli who paid for the room hire. Beauty mate!
• Thanks and see you next month.

Due to popular demand at last weeks meeting (1st Sept'06), we've now created a FOSSACT members mailing list. To sign up to the mailing list please register at:

http://fossact.org.au/mailman/listinfo/members_fossact.org.au

We will still continue to post announcements to the website, but will also use the mailing list as well. So if you want notification direct to your inbox, the mailing list is the way to go!

If you are already registered on FOSSACT then you should have received an invitation to join the mailing list.

A group of FOSS enthusiasts are organising an event for Software Freedom Day.

This will include handing out a flyer promiting, amongst other things, local providers of FOSS support. If you are such a provider you are most welcome to be on it.

To be included please email [david.symons AT liberatedcomputing.net] with:

• logo (either attached or with a link to the image);
• slogan (if applicable); and
• website URL

by Wednesday September 5th.

Also, you are more than welcome to come along and help out on the day.

"Top public school claims Open Source software improves education"
http://linuxpr.com/releases/9004.html

"National Australia Bank Does Linux"
http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;580233128;fp;2;fpid;1

"Why Proprietary Software is Dangerous for Business Critical Applications"
http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/08/14/202229

Software and Collaboration in Higher Education: A Study of Open Source Software [published July 26, 2006]
http://www.ithaka.org/strategic/OOSS_Report_FINAL.pdf

And an excellent comparison of Wiki systems for those looking to get into this technology
http://www.wikimatrix.org

"...the NSW Department of Education [is] dealing with more open source desktops as pilot projects begin across the state. This month, Homebush Boys High School in Sydney will trial Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) 10 on 11 computers in the library, dual-booting them with Windows XP. If the trial is successful, the school will look at doing the same for its entire fleet of about 250 desktops."

More: http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;885559750;fp;2;fpid;1

"[The southern Indian state of Kerala] plans to switch all school computers from Microsoft Windows to the free Linux operating system,.. The decision to switch to Linux came after free software guru Richard Stallman, founder of the open-source GNU software project, visited Kerala two weeks ago, and persuaded officials to discard proprietary software, such as Microsoft, at state-run schools.."

More: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060831.gtlinux0831/...

Also: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060831/ap_on_hi_te/india_windows_vs__linux

"The Open Source Business Association estimates that the [Danish] government (including local government) could save 550 million kroner by migrating to OpenOffice and ODF. That’s around 94 million US Dollars." More: http://gotze.eu/2006/08/report-use-odf-save-550-million.html

"[The U.S. Department of] Defence already has at least 115 open source software applications operating for more than 250 purposes." Argues advantages include: * more efficient, robust, secure software development * network infrastructure efficiencies * exposes and develops programmer skills base More: http://www.military-information-technology.com/article.cfm?DocID=1589

Federal Computer Week (20/8/06) reports that a new U.S. Department of Defence report urges adoption of an "open technology model for software procurement and development." This includes "sharing programming code and standards with the open source community." More: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/52502.html