France chooses Ubuntu Linux over Microsoft

Whilst France is currently in the throws of a vicious election campaign, it seems that quietly in the background another victory has taken place. The victory isn’t just for freedom, it seems that the victory is for free software.

On Friday the French National Assembly choose to use Linux and not Microsoft for the 577 French deputies and their assistants.

Following on from a recent decision to use Linux as the desktop for Peugeot’s 20,000 workers it seems that France has begun to fully embrace the world of open source software.

With the announcement from the National Assembly that the government administrators and legislators will be using the free Ubuntu version of Linux it is likely that others will follow pace quickly.

Microsoft is the biggest loser from this decision as it not only means lose of sales and support for its operating system, but the adoption of an open source (and free) alternative to its lucrative office suite.

At the same time this will send shudders down the spine of Microsoft as it struggles with both the EU and getting its new office standard accepted as, the next generation document standard.

This also comes on the back of  Microsoft’s newest release, Vista being banned by the US Department of Transport for internal use.

That Linux is accelerating rapidly in the server market is not in doubt, that it is now starting to make headway on the desktop should be a strong indicator of things to come.

With a government body as representative as the French National Assembly choosing a new, free Linux distribution such as Ubuntu maybe this is after all the year of Linux.