[clug] Internode dumps FOSS for MS Exchange

[Karun Dambiec]

> 
> The whole "best tool for the job" means that it would be OK to use an
> iPhone, it's OK to use Microsoft Office, but that contradicts my hopes
> for a free computing ecosystem. How does one reconcile this? How can I
> balance a belief that users should be free from vendor-lockin and
> support products which lock users in?
> 

I think we need more businesses and governments to take this approach
more that the Telematics between Administration Committess in Europe
took:

In May 2004, TAC issued a set of recommendations, in particular noting
that, "Because of its specific role in society, the public sector must
avoid [a situation where] a specific product is forced on anyone
interacting with it electronically. Conversely, any document format that
does not discriminate against market actors and that can be implemented
across platforms should be encouraged. Likewise, the public sector
should avoid any format that does not safeguard equal opportunities to
market actors to implement format-processing applications, especially
where this might impose product selection on the side of citizens or
businesses. In this respect standardisation initiatives will ensure not
only a fair and competitive market but will also help safeguard the
interoperability of implementing solutions whilst preserving competition
and innovation." 


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opendocument_adoption#Europe

I do not see anything wrong with Microsoft and vendors competing in the
market fairly using the same open format, rather than vendor lockin.