“A member of Parliament of the United Kingdom has launched a stinging attack on the U.K. government’s IT strategy, saying that it has given Microsoft too much control,” Colin Barker reports for CNET.
“John Pugh, who is a member of Parliament, or MP, for Southport and a member of the Public Accounts Committee, was speaking in an adjournment debate on Tuesday that he had called. The aim of the debate, he said, was to explore the alternatives to using Microsoft software, including open source,” Barker reports.
“The current U.K. government strategy has left too much in the hands of Microsoft, Pugh argued, and he accused the company of ‘predatory pricing and stultifying competition,” Barker reports. “He said that the U.K. government’s policy ‘is, in part, in breach of European Union regulations’ on competition.”
Barker reports, “The government’s strategy hits the poorest hardest, Pugh said. ‘Why should people on benefits have to use Vista when it costs hundreds of pounds and there are cheaper open-source solutions available?’ he asked. ‘Why should people have to use Vista rather than Apple [Mac], for that matter?’
Barker reports, “In November 2006, Pugh called for a ‘level playing-field in software,’ arguing that the government was favoring Microsoft above other companies.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: John Pugh for President, er… Prime Minister! Aw, screw that, just crown him King John and be done with it!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Adam W.” for the heads up.]
