Microsoft loses grip on university

By ADAM GIFFORD

Microsoft's hold on Auckland University desktops is about to be challenged, with the school of engineering offering students and staff a choice between Microsoft Office and Sun Microsystems' Star Office.

Stephen Whiteside, director of IT systems and services, said the Star Office alternative was being explored after "bruising negotiations with Microsoft" over the software licensing costs paid by all universities.

"We have been looking to get better value from our licensing."

Whiteside would not reveal how much Auckland University waspaying Microsoft, but at theacademic rate quoted by other in-stitutions it was unlikely to receive change out of $500,000 a year.

Victoria University IT services director Cathy Budd, who led the universities' negotiations with Microsoft, said the software giant charged each tertiary institution an annual subscription based on the number of fulltime-equivalent staff, and did not break the cost down according to applications.

The Sun website says educational institutions can get Star Office for the price of the media and shipping. The price for single private users is US$75.95 ($147.98), substantially less than the Microsoft equivalent, and companies can get if for as low as US$25 by buying in bulk.

The university already uses open source Cyrus Imap software running on a Linux cluster to provide email accounts for its 28,000 students. Microsoft Exchange is used for staff email.

Engineering IT manager Ivor Woodfield said the 2000 PCs in the school were being upgraded to the Windows XP operating system.

"The Star Office option arrived too late to say we would install it instead of Office XP, so through 2003 we will run it in tandem and see how it goes.

"We have no plans to impose a Windows-free environment, but we think things will move that way, particularly if it becomes harder to license Windows products."

Woodfield said some of the school's PCs already run both Linux and Windows in a dual-boot configuration, because many engineering applications started as Unix programs that had been converted to Linux.

"The feeling is that all Linux users will use Star Office, and it will be offered as an option to Microsoft users."

He said initial testing of the latest version of Star Office indicated it was fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats, meaning there should be few compatibility problems when exchanging files.

It included a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, calendar, email, a graphics program, database and mathematics formula software.

Woodfield said it would suit the university's IT staff to move away from a Windows environment, because Windows was technically more complex to manage on a network than Linux.

"The university is unusual in that it has a highly mobile user base. Office products tend to be tied to particular desktops."

Brent Wilkinson, the Auckland sales manager for Sun distributor SolNet, expects a quick uptake of Star Office by students.

"A lot of people will see it as a way of getting the functionality they need at a more economic price."

Wilkinson said the deal with Auckland University included some second- and third-level support.

"As long as they are using their own helpdesk for support and have sufficient people trained, there will not be a lot of cost to the university."

The university's Star Office licence allows it to install the software on Machines it controls as well as distribute it to students and faculty for their own use - in contrast to the Microsoft agreements, which limit people's ability to put copies on their home computer.

Star Office will run on Linux, Solaris and Macintosh operating systems and on most flavours of Windows.

Wilkinson said SolNet was also talking with two "significant commercial enterprises" about switching to Star Office.

"It is particularly appropriate where staff don't want the whole office suite - they may just need to do word processing and some spreadsheeting."