Öppet brev från Francois Bancilhon till Steve Ballmer

Mandriva, som gör en linuxdistribution med samma namn, lyckades nyligen slutföra en affär med regeringen i Nigeria om att leverera 17.000 enheter av Intels Classmate-PC med Mandriva förinstallerat. Nu har köparna i Nigeria meddelat att man kommer att betala för mjukvaran som avtalat men att man kommer att installera Windows istället. Det har föranlett Mandrivas VD Francios Banchilon att skriva ett öppet brev till Steve Ballmer på Mandrivas blogg 31 oktober. Han skriver bland annat:

Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind like this? It’s quite clear to me, and it will be to everyone. How do you call what you just did Steve? There is various names for it, I’m sure you know them./—/ Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one. You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics you and I, but I still believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too.

Den 5 novemebr har Christopher Dawson lyckats få “a rather informal”(!) intervju med Francois Banchilon som han summerar på ZDnet:

“The more important issue (Read:for Mandriva and Francois) was that the Nigerian customers (and other customers in similar situations with whom they have partnered around the world) really valued the ability to be part of the localization efforts for the software and, in fact, to generate local jobs. Microsoft does not offer the ability to customize at this level for a “local market and involve local people in terms of content./—/The true opportunity for Linux, he noted, will be in emerging markets where the openness and customizability of the software for local markets has the most value. He felt that the Nigerian deal was particularly important because it could have been a model for other similar situations, which are remarkably widespread in developing countries.”

Men nu finns en öppning enligt en artikel av Jeremy Kirk från IDG News services:

Nigeria’s Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) wants to keep Mandriva Linux on the Classmate PCs, said an official who identified himself as the program manager for USPF’s Classmate PCs project. “We are sticking with that platform,” said the official, who would not give his name.

Microsofts motstrategi lyder:

“Microsoft is still negotiating an agreement that would give TSC US$400,000 for marketing activities around the Classmate PCs when those computers are converted to Windows. “Microsoft is able to offer a comprehensive education solution — including software, training and support — on the 17,000 Classmate PCs for 200 schools across Nigeria,” the statement said.”

Monopolisterna på Microsoft har visat sitt fula tryne. Ingen ska tydligen tro att Linux kommer att vara enkelt att sprida i utvecklingsländerna.