[Linux-aus] 80% of Brazilian government to switch to Linux by 2006

[Leon Brooks]

Original Story can be read here (Enrico _will_ be pleased):
 
http://www.hispalinux.es/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=209

Translated Summary by Gonzalo Porcel:

    Rio de Janeiro, 2 June (EFE) The Brazilian government plans to
    migrate from Windows to Linux 80% of all computers in state
    institutions and state-owned businesses, informed the daily
    newspaper "Valor". This will be a gradual migration, that will
    begin with a pilot project in one ministry and which will be
    completed over a period of three years, according to official
    sources cited by the financial daily."

Found on http://www.pclinuxonline.com/

Full Google translation at:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hispalinux.es%2Fmodules.php%3Fop%3Dmodload%26name%3DNews%26file%3Darticle%26sid%3D209&langpair=es%7Cen

...and they seem to have found some genuinely good reasons to do it, 
beyond "we're saving up-front licence fees):

    The president of the Institute calculates that Brazil, adding
    the public sector and the prevailed one[?], pays annually
    near 700 million Real (about 233 million [US] dollars) in
    licenses for the use of programs of computers.

    The decision of the government to adopt the Linux, according to
    Silveira, can stimulate to domestic consuming private companies
    and to decide on that gratuitous operating system.

    Also, it can foment the production of national software and
    "democratizar the knowledge", according to the civil employee.

/ME waves to the users of "that gratuitous operating system". :-)

Cheers; Leon