27 Aug 2004
The £2.3bn National Programme for NHS IT has signed a deal for 5000 open source desktops from supplier Sun Microsystems.
The contract comes on the heels of a proposed agreement with Microsoft for a 1.2 million Windows desktop deal for the health service. The plans are currently with the Treasury for approval and expected to be signed off imminently.
Further reading
Sun's Java Desktop system includes a range of open source software products including the Linux operating system, Gnome desktop and Sun Office Suite, all supported by the supplier.
An evaluation project has concluded that the system is a 'viable desktop alternative for certain types of user communities', says the National Programme. The licences are for 'tactical deployments', it says.
National Programme chief technology office Duncan McNeil said: 'The National Programme continues to view the use of open source software and open systems architecture as a key way of achieving best value and systems interoperability into the future.'
Sun's Java System software is also used as the enterprise infrastructure underpinning the NHS Care Records Service at the heart of the programme.
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