Migrating to desktop Linux? Take a look at Norway

It has been reported that Steve Ballmer is ’searching for proof’ that the Linux desktop is gaining ground. Mr. Ballmer, have you ever considered looking into Google News?

There you will find article after article proving that Linux is really begining to pick up its pace. If that is not enough for you, consider looking to Norway.

At the end of 2003 industry experts speculated whether 2004 would be the year when Linux on the desktop moved from an academic curiosity to a real alternative to Microsoft.

It didn’t happen. Apart from the Allied Irish Bank and a handful of others, the private sector has given desktop Linux a wide berth so far.

The public sector has been braver, with numerous organisations including government departments in Paris, Munich and Singapore making aggressive migration plans but not all of them followed through. Paris City Council nixed its plans in the short term due to the costs of migration. Munich put its migration on hold for a few months while legal issues were sorted out, but the process is now due to start in the New Year. Singapore plans to install Microsoft Office’s open source competitor OpenOffice.org on 20,000 PCs, but has been unwilling to commit to migrating to Linux.

In a speech at the Gartner Symposium in October, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer seized on these setbacks as clear evidence that Linux is no competition on the desktop.