New subject: CERN leaves Microsoft programs behind for open-source software

21 Jun 2019

https://www.zdnet.com/article/cern-leaves-microsoft-programs-behind-for-ope…
<https://www.zdnet.com/article/cern-leaves-microsoft-programs-behind-for-open-source-software/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0h&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5d0329fcb1a3150001dd24ab&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR12TqlaUgExvVtED8hTdu7dzJMFxO8ko1ZGZY8fu5GaaLcMW05xnGoQeEo>
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   CERN leaves Microsoft programs behind for open-source software
 A price tag hike has CERN, one of the world's leading scientific
 research organizations, moving from Microsoft programs for more
 affordable open-source software.
 Beginning a year ago, CERN launched the Microsoft Alternatives project
 (MAlt)
 <https://home.cern/news/news/computing/microsoft-alternatives-project-malt>.
 The name says it all.
 CERN wants to get away from Microsoft programs for a very prosaic
 reason: To save money.
 Iban Eguia, a CERN software engineer, tweeted: "At@CERN
 <https://twitter.com/CERN>, we are moving away from @Microsoft
 products <https://twitter.com/Razican/status/1138818892825055233> due
 to their license fee increases for our research laboratory. We will
 try to use open-source software as much as possible. :)"
 So, CERN started the Microsoft Alternatives project (MAlt). It's
 initial goal is "investigate the migration from commercial software
 products (Microsoft and others) to open-source solutions, so as to
 minimise CERN's exposure to the risks of unsustainable commercial
 conditions."
 CERN is far from the only group that feels the pain of per user
 licensing. CERN, Ormancey claimed, however, is leading the way in
 exploring open-source alternatives.
 The project's principles of engagement are:
   * Deliver the same service to every category of CERN personnel
   * Avoid vendor lock-in to decrease risk and dependency
   * Keep hands on the data
   * Address the common use-cases
 [...]
Erreurs dans cet article: un logiciel libre n'est pas l'opposé d'un
"logiciel commercial". On peut être un logiciel libre _et_
"commercial",
comme c'est le cas de MySQL ou RedHat Linux.
Autre erreur: ils disent que la principale motivation est "To save
money", mais plus loin ils citent les vraies raisons, dont notamment:
  * *Avoid vendor lock-in to decrease risk and dependency*
  * *Keep hands on the data*