CERN Is Working To Move Further Away From Microsoft Due To License Costs Going Up By 10x

[edwaleni]

One thing I didn't mention earlier, its getting yet more expensive for companies to upgrade their desktop platforms.

So they try to "hang on" longer with their older versions. In return MSFT jacks up the support agreement costs for any one who tries to go past the extended support dates.

This in turn forces companies to compare MSFT extended support costs vs the cost to upgrade.

There has been some grumbling under the covers about some large firms assessment of the costs to migrate to Windows 10. Many Enterprise licensees were still on Windows 7 which goes away in 2020. With patching and threat remediation costs increasing significantly as well, people are starting to reconsider their spends.

[Almindor]

I wouldn't hold my breath for any kind of OSS-ification at CERN.

I suspect this is more of a PR move by CERN to force M$ back into changing the classification. Even if M$ doesn't budge tho I suspect nothing more will come of it. These are all top-level political things. There's probably no actual technical drive to replace anything in CERN. Maybe they'll do a bunch of cuts.

[RahulSundaram]

exactly, because WebEx, Zoom, Gotomeeting and Skype for Business/Lync prove that there's no market for this type of solution if implemented as OSS supplemented with contracts for dial-in/dial-out connectivity and support, and perhaps a paid-for mobile client.

Wait.. what? Why not? Sounds to me more like nobody has taken the initial effort to go all the way, but that there's definitely demand for it.

I didn't say there is no market for alternatives. I said it is unlikely to be developed as an open source solution and I stand by what I said

[F.Ultra]

I wouldn't hold my breath for any kind of OSS-ification at CERN.

I suspect this is more of a PR move by CERN to force M$ back into changing the classification. Even if M$ doesn't budge tho I suspect nothing more will come of it. These are all top-level political things. There's probably no actual technical drive to replace anything in CERN. Maybe they'll do a bunch of cuts.

CERN is already using a shit ton of Linux, currently they however let workers choose between Linux, Windows and macOS: http://information-technology.web.ce...etting-started so this is not them converting 100% of their infrastructure and desktops from WIndows but just those that choose to run Windows (which might be quite a lot, I don't know the numbers).

[F.Ultra]

I didn't say there is no market for alternatives. I said it is unlikely to be developed as an open source solution and I stand by what I said

Agreed, for some one to offer "call landline telephones" a company selling it as a service is required.

[CochainComplex]

I am still trying to discern why MSFT is hitting them with the price bump. It only says that "they no longer qualify as an education institution"

But if you look at their governance, its clear they aren't really set up like a university, but more like a government agency.

I checked to see how their counterpart is set up (FermiLab in Batavia Illinois) and they are considered a government office of the Department of Energy. (fnal.gov)

So I am thinking that is why MSFT made the change.

Our Research Institute (the same happened to our liceneses) is listed as a GmbH (German version of Limited) since decades maybe from the Beginning (1960ies). Never an issue because it is doing only fundamental research and is owned and funded by the federal republic of Germany. It also gets some money from our states. But its purpose is research and education. And 4 years back MS has said a GmbH is not education so no education discount.
At the end. just BS to squeeze out more money...

CERN is international so it is difficult to find a legal "form of company". Thats why the most international Research Institutes are listed as companies but funded by international money. And in the field of particle physics ...financial profit can not be achieved. So its purpose is by definition pure research and education and not profit as the legal form of company might be suggesting.

M$

[CochainComplex]

I didn't say there is no market for alternatives. I said it is unlikely to be developed as an open source solution and I stand by what I said

CERN is using/developing a lot in the OpenSource field e.g.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Linux ..so it is also not a company which has to gain profit. A lot of research institutes are also actively contributing not because it is the cheaper solution also because it is something which enhences the society <- thats purpose of research btw.

[RahulSundaram]

CERN is using/developing a lot in the OpenSource field e.g.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Linux ..so it is also not a company which has to gain profit. A lot of research institutes are also actively contributing not because it is the cheaper solution also because it is something which enhences the society <- thats purpose of research btw.

I am aware but developing an alternative to Skype for Business is well outside the scope and focus area of CERN. Just because they are a research organization doesn't mean they are going to get the funding to do this. If they want to add a few features to say Ekiga, that's doable but not an independent product.

[Dedale]

And the WWW was also outside of the scope of CERN ?

[down1]

I really don't think replacing skype for business will be a problem. I imagine the likely problem would be administrators complaining about getting rid of office or any problems with the email server (the old one was very reliable)