Sun's rising star enters Microsoft space

Users are protesting against Microsoft's changes in licensing terms - with some vowing to abandon its products for good.

The Central Scotland Police is just one of the many organisations angered by changes to Microsoft's licensing model, which will leave them paying more for software.

Speaking exclusively to Computing, Chief Inspector Stewart Marshall, said the force had moved more than 1,000 users to Sun Microsystems' Star Office suite - saving almost a quarter of a million pounds in the process.

'We saw how Microsoft was moving with licensing and how much it was going to cost. Star Office was a sticking plaster until we got some more funding, but He added that he would recommend any organisation looking to reduce its overheads to consider Star Office as an alternative. 'The aim in the foreseeable future is to do away with Microsoft [products] altogether,' Marshall said.

Other large users are seeking ways of reducing software costs. A local council, which does not want to be named, has saved £170,000 by moving 260 desktops onto Star Office, while a large logistics company has complained about the budgetary implications of accepting Microsoft's new terms.

Microsoft's licensing programme - software assurance - comes into effect in October this year. It assumes users have the most current version of software and replaces Upgrade advantage, the cheapest upgrade mechanism currently favoured by users.

Although users will have until the end of February next year to move to the latest version of software, concern is mounting that it will come at a heavy price.

Duncan Reid, UK licensing manager for Microsoft says there has been a great deal of confusion and misunderstanding regarding the proposed changes. He urges users to talk to resellers before making an 'informed and matured decision'.

But analyst Meta Group believes Microsoft's licensing changes are merely a stepping stone and predicts that by 2004, it will have eliminated all perpetual licenses, leaving only one option - the subscription based model.

Blue-chip user group the Infrastructure Forum is holding a workshop next week (9 August) to gauge member's attitudes to Microsoft's licensing plans. Other industry bodies, such as Eurim, have pledged to investigate the issue.

Sun and Microsoft have long engaged in bitter clashes regarding the use of Java. High-profile migrations to Star Office will only intensify the battle.

Ian Meakin, product marketing manger at Sun, said the company firmly believes software should be free, which is why it offers users the opportunity to download Star Office free of charge.

'Why have the blue screen of death when you can have Linux on your laptop?' he said.