The UK Government’s computer agency has advised schools not to sign licensing agreements with Microsoft because of alleged anti-competitive practices.

Becta has made a formal complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after the negotiations with Microsoft over schools’ software licenses reached a stalemate.

The unresolved issues center around the “limitations Microsoft places on schools using its subscription licensing arrangements and the potential interoperability difficulties for schools, pupils and parents who wish to use alternatives to Microsoft’s Office suite, including ‘free to use’ alternatives,” PCW writes.

Becta emphasized that schools are legally obliged to have licensed software and therefore should use “perpetual licensing” instead of subscription licensing.

The agency officially advised schools who wish to use Microsoft software to enter into an agreement with the software company if it involves a one-off payment which gives permanent rights to use the software.

In addition, schools were also advised to deploy Office 2007 “only when its interoperability with alternative products is satisfactory. That would necessarily imply effective support by Microsoft of the internationally approved ODF file format. “

Another concerned raise by Becta is the requirement that schools must have licenses for every PC which might be running Microsoft software, whether or not the software is actually in use or not.

Microsoft, for its part, insists that it is trying to offer the best software at the best possible price.

However, Becta seems so determined to get the best deal it can for schools. In a statement, it says the cost-effective and convenient IT provision in schools requires the avoidance of impediments to effective competition and choice.

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Entry was posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 at 1:38 am under Microsoft.

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