No subject

So don't dwell on the definitions of open source and the packages available 
and history of Linux and so on. He won't understand in the time available, 
and won't care. Stress the money instead. He'll understand that, guaranteed.

Do a back-of-the-envelope calculation based on the number of ACT Govt 
desktops and lead in with "Open Source can save the ACT government $X 
million per year, foster a local IT industry, and improve reliability and 
security".

Follow up with "It can improve competition and remove the ACT's lock-in to a 
single vendor that has monopoly pricing power". Add that "the money 
currently going to a USA company can be spent on local company support 
instead".

Remember he'll get told by InTACT that it will be too expensive to switch 
from MS. So point out that Telstra, Peru, India and China have received big 
discounts from MS simply by credibly threatening to switch. He can get 
InTACT to do a serious yet cheap pilot and threaten the MS salesmen next 
time they come calling. Frankly, while I'd rather that democratic 
governments used open source software, for me killing the MS profit margins 
is half-a-win.

Second last page can be something along the lines of "Open Source is 
software developed by an international coalition of companies such as IBM, 
Oracle and Apple with assistance by volunteers from around the world etc etc 
and available for free use and distribution, and the customer gets all 
rights to use and change the software free of charge". Look, I know this 
isn't precisely true in OUR context, but it's true in HIS. If he asks you 
more about open source, you can fill him in. But always come back to the 
money.

Last page should be "Other governments are saving money and creating jobs 
using open source, when will the ACT start".

I just did a presentation on open source at work vaguely along these lines, 
and have an OpenOffice slide presentation you're welcome to if you like. 
Mine was more oriented to techos, but I made sure to cover the $ aspect as 
well, and it's the bit that got the gasps and ooh-aah's.

Cheers and good luck,
Jamie


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