In a move that the CEO of SuSE compares to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the city of Munich has decided to switch to Linux rather than upgrade to Windows XP. It wasn't the cheapest option, because Microsoft was willing to deal on price. It was a "strategic decision [that] makes Munich less dependent on one IT supplier and sets a trend toward more competition," according to Munich's mayor. Christian Ude. According to the Reuters story: "Linux is considered by many to be the only big rival to Microsoft's Windows and can already be found on 15 percent of all computers sold in Western Europe."
The Munich deal follows on from an agreement between the German government and IBM, the world's biggest computer company, whereby "federal, state and local governments will receive discounts on IBM hardware and software products that support Linux". Computerworld reported earlier: "In addition to supplying hardware and software, IBM will provide technical support to government officials deploying Linux and other open-source software products."
