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Open source activity map of the world

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  • 22-04-2009 6:43pm
    #1
    probe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,055 ✭✭✭


    Country rankings for open source software adoption:

    1. France (1.35)
    2. Spain (1.07)
    3. Germany (1.05)
    4. Australia (1.04)
    5. Finland (1.03)
    6. Britain (1.00)
    7. Norway (0.95)
    8. Estonia (0.89)
    9. United States of America (0.89)
    10. Denmark (0.79)
    ....................

    19. Ireland

    Click on a country to see the rankings by sector:
    http://www.redhat.com/about/where-is-open-source/activity/

    Ireland gets a low ranking for government use of open source software - The governments of France, Spain, Brazil and Germany are the top 4 users of open source.


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    #2
    MunsterCycling
    Registered Users Posts: 4,864 ✭✭✭MunsterCycling


    The low ranking of government use here is hardly surprising when you have tools like Batt O'Keeffe beaming in front of the media after having wasted millions of our money on paying M$ tax for school workstations, the government depts here and all semi state should be converted to Open Source OS, software and file formats and stop the waste of public money on worhless licence fees.

    MC


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    #3
    An Fear Aniar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,377 ✭✭✭An Fear Aniar


    Microsoft employ thousands here Ireland, so I'm not surprised that the government is keeping low key with open source. They don't want to annoy Redmond, seems sensible enough for the time being.

    .


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    #4
    MunsterCycling
    Registered Users Posts: 4,864 ✭✭✭MunsterCycling


    Nope they should adopt the French govt. policy of only using Open Source OSs and file formats, the M$ tax is onerous and vile and they support a locked down proprietary future.

    MC


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    #5
    An Fear Aniar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,377 ✭✭✭An Fear Aniar


    MunsterCycling wrote: »
    Nope they should adopt the French govt. policy of only using Open Source OSs and file formats, the M$ tax is onerous and vile and they support a locked down proprietary future.

    MC

    Sure, I agree in principle. but in the case of the Irish republic, we get a lot more back from Microsoft than we give to them.

    http://www.finfacts.ie/irelandbusinessnews/publish/article_10005150.shtml

    So for the Irish Government, it would be stupid to rock the boat by going on a FOSS crusade.


    .


  • Options
    #6
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    An Fear Aniar wrote: »
    Sure, I agree in principle. but in the case of the Irish republic, we get a lot more back from Microsoft than we give to them.

    Agreed.


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    #7
    MunsterCycling
    Registered Users Posts: 4,864 ✭✭✭MunsterCycling


    Khannie wrote: »
    Agreed.

    \ Takes big stick... :D /

    As an MCP I see where you are coming from but the waste of funds is scandalous, I'll be asking one of my TD's (its handy he's the chairman of the Public Accs Comm) to ask the Dept of Finance a few questions re this and see if they will answer truthfully.

    MC


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    #8
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,003 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Sure, I agree in principle. but in the case of the Irish republic, we get a lot more back from Microsoft than we give to them.

    That is not the way I read it.
    Do they pay any tax at all on income from their IP?
    Flat Island Company made a profit of $802.4 million in 2004 on sales of $2 billion, but paid no tax. It issues licences for software in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

    Then they pay the lowest EU corporate tax rate on everything else.

    They paid about $300 million tax but saved at least $500 million over what they would have had to pay in the US.

    So, looking at those figures I would suggest they are well ahead in the gains stake.

    No doubt the only reason they are here.


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    #9
    Orion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    That is not the way I read it.
    Do they pay any tax at all on income from their IP?

    It's the tax that's paid by the amount of people they employ - that's the very reason for our low corporation tax rate.

    However I disagree with the comments above. MS are here for our skilled workforce and favourable tax rates not for our Government adoption of MS software. They could switch to OS software without threatening MS World Domination. Let's be serious - the Irish civil service moving to Linux/OO/etc would hardly even register as a blip on their radar.

    But the financial savings to Ireland would be considerable. France did it - their police force has saved up to €50 million by migrating. There's a few hospitals in Ireland that could use some of that €50 million were we to go down that path.


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    #10
    An Fear Aniar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,377 ✭✭✭An Fear Aniar


    Macros42 wrote: »
    It's the tax that's paid by the amount of people they employ - that's the very reason for our low corporation tax rate.

    Exactly not just the tax revenues but also the employment and all the other businesses that supply Microsoft and the "prestige" of having their EMEA operations here.


    .


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