Linux Is Ready

German insurance giant LVM embraces open source

Canonical has taken the wraps off a morale-boosting deal that has seen German insurance giant LVM Versicherungen convert 10,000 PCs to use Ubuntu Linux across the company’s operations.

The project included the conversion of 3,000 desktop and laptop computers in LVM’s Muenster HQ with a further 7,000 in the company’s agencies around Germany. The core software used by the company is LAS, a Java-based claims-processing application of its own design, backed by Lotus Notes, Adobe’s Reader and the OpenOffice suite.

The news isn’t entirely a surprise given that LVM has been using Ubuntu for some time. But converting a company’s entire install base to use the software is still a modest coup.

LVM is also a demanding environment for any OS. The company’s workforce is bolstered by a small army of self-employed and mobile sales representatives that sell insurance at street and living room level. The LAS system is described as being used by the sales team in an ‘always-on’ configuration.

The official release made no mention of the operating system being displaced but Techworld understands these were running older versions of Windows in recent years.

“Many companies are waking up to the realisation that there is an alternative to an endless cycle of licence fees that can amount to millions of dollars. We believe that the investment that LVM have made in converting to Ubuntu by engaging with Canonical will pay off many times,” said Canonical’s VP of business development, Steve George.

Could this another sign of wider mainstream acceptance for Linux or is it a one-off? Certainly, Germany has an interesting history of using Linux which tends to make large install stories look like eccentric deviation from the business conformity of Windows.

It probably comes down to the type of business and applications that need supporting. Few businesses buy Windows out of great love for Microsoft so much as the belief that Redmond is a rock of relative stability in an industry in which companies have in the past come and gone, leaving applications unsupported. Canonical’s Ubuntu Linux model is now seen as stable enough to rival this in some business cases.

That said, last year the Swiss canton of Solothurn went back to Windows 7 after hitting turbulence in a long-running Debian/GNU migration. There were special circumstances in that project but the ice melts both ways.

Ubuntu 11.04 will automatically download and install the correct Epson driver for your Epson printer upon connecting it to your computer.

Users of Epson printers on Linux have, until now, been advised to manually download and install drivers from the AVASYS website.

From Ubuntu 11.04 onwards simply ‘plugging’ in one of over 268 Epson inkjet printer models launched since 2005 will initiate installation of the correct driver.

Epson’s Ikuaki Kitabayashi said: “We continually strive to make printers easier to use, so we are very pleased to be able to provide this convenient automatic printer driver download service to Linux users.”

Till Kamppeter of the OpenPrinting project hopes that this move will lead to other hardware manufacturers adopting similarly styled automatic driver downloading services, believing that if they do ‘…Linux can become one of the easiest to use operating systems.’

UK Cabinet minister Francis Maude says his new ICT strategy will save the government millions.

The government has unveiled a new ICT cost-cutting strategy, in which it renews its commitment to encouraging small business innovation and embraces open source technologies.

Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude outlined the plans today, promising to create a level playing field for open source software and impose compulsory open standards, starting with interoperability and security.

“For too long, Government has wasted vast amounts of money on ineffective and duplicate IT systems,” said Maude. “We will end the oligopoly of big business supplying government IT by breaking down contracts into smaller, more flexible projects. This will open up the market to SMEs and new providers.”Delivering interoperability: In its report, the government acknowledges that, when used in conjunction with compulsory open standards, open source presents “significant opportunities for the design and delivery of interoperable solutions”. It says that moving to smaller and more manageable projects will improve project delivery timelines and reduce the risk of project failure.

The government also intends to encourage the sharing and reuse of ICT solutions and contracts across the public sector through a common infrastructure and online applications store. This will help prevent unnecessary duplication and save on the cost of purchasing new or bespoke solutions.

Furthermore, the report states that the government will move away from large and expensive ICT projects, with a presumption that no project will be greater than £100 million.

“We are especially pleased to see that [the report] recognises ICT as an enabler and not just an overhead,” said John Higgins, director general of Intellect, the trade association for the UK’s technology industry. “By adopting innovative approaches and opening up opportunities to SMEs, social enterprises, charities and other new providers, we will see a dynamic supplier ecosystem and greater benefits to the taxpayer.”
Fairer procurement policies

The news has been welcomed by the National Outsourcing Association, which says the decision will help the public sector get the most out of its ICT suppliers and keep costs to a minimum.

“At present, the government is tied into a range of contracts with large suppliers, which could mean that they struggle to get the best possible service as a result,” said Martyn Hart, Chairman of the National Outsourcing Association.

“By pledging to free policy makers from the multi-billion pound contracts they have been tied to, and creating a ‘presumption against’ IT contracts in excess of £100 million, the government is ensuring that public sector procurement for IT is more cost-effective and competitive, which is good news for the outsourcing industry and the public sector as a whole.”

The news follows on the heels of the government’s new ‘StartUp Britain’ scheme, which is intended to support entrepreneurs and help new businesses get off the ground. Organisers of the scheme estimate that the government’s support is worth more than £1,500 for every British start-up business. The government also this week unveiled its Innovation Launch Pad, which allows SMBs to pitch their ideas on how to offer better value for money in the delivery of government services.

“In recent weeks, we’ve seen the coalition government pledging to support SMEs with a broad range of initiatives aimed at ensuring that larger outsourcing suppliers are not the only ones with access to public sector contracts,” said Hart. “This morning’s announcement is designed to take this a step further and ensure a fairer procurement process for IT contracts in the public sector.”