Massive 70000 workstation Ubuntu deployment in France

30 Jan 2008  Desktop, Linux

After switching to OpenOffice in 2005 and introducing Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird on their machines in 2006, the French paramilitary police (’Gendarmery’) will make the switch to 100% Free Software based desktops in the coming years. The migration should be completed in 2014.

All workstations will be converted to Ubuntu desktops, starting this year with 5000-8000 seats, growing to 12000-15000 over the next four years. By 2014, all 70000 (!!!) desktops should be running free software.

There are three major reasons for the full switch:

  1. Remove dependency on one single supplier
  2.  Gain full control over the whole operating system stack
  3. Reduce costs

Nowadays licensing costs sum up to 7000000€ (that’s seven million euros) every year.

I guess this must be one of the largest Linux desktops deployments ever?

Source: AFP

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4 Responses to “Massive 70000 workstation Ubuntu deployment in France”

  1. Ken said on 30 Jan 2008 @ 5:53 pm

    When an announcement like this is made, it seems like quite often Microsoft fly in with their chequebooks and FUDbooks and fix it. Bill Gates is in London today- hardly a million miles off.

  2. Nicolas said on 30 Jan 2008 @ 6:21 pm

    Ken: even if this deployment wouldn’t become reality, the intention and comments by the responsibles can have a major impact.

    Although a real deployment is always better, of course ;-)

  3. Ghosty said on 31 Jan 2008 @ 1:20 am

    And where is the Belgian government staying? Do they even have pc’s already? Some 7 years ago (time flies) they typed (yes as in a typewriter) everything on my drivers license. I wonder where they are today …

  4. Gaurav said on 21 Mar 2008 @ 9:55 pm

    I must appreciate this step towards open source technology adoptions.

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