Today Microsoft share gone done because it lost a major contract from German govt. for desktop OS. German govt going for Linux

As Frederick Noronha requested earlier I am pasting the news

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=4779... Take on Gates, Kalam tells Indian techies

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2003 11:31:30 PM ]

PUNE: A few months after a disagreement with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates on the issue of software security, President A P J Abdul Kalam on Wednesday called on Indian IT professionals to specialise in open source software rather than relying on proprietary solutions.

Many governments and companies have been increasingly attracted to open source software like Linux. Proprietary software like Microsoft Windows are not free for the user � some governments also feel more secure with an open source system.

Kalam made this clarion call after a tour of the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), at the Software Technology Park, Pune, which was dedicated to the nation on Wednesday.

On the extensive use of MS Windows at the institute, Kalam said, "The most unfortunate thing is that India still seems to believe in proprietary solutions. Further spread of IT, which is influencing the daily life of individuals, will have a devastating effect on the lives of society due to any small shift in the business practice involving these proprietary solutions. It is precisely for these reasons open source software needs to be built which will be cost effective for the entire society," said Kalam.

On his differences with Gates, Kalam said, "Our discussions became difficult since our views were different."

He also said there is a need for a "national citizen card" for multiple uses such as voter ID card, bank operations card and ration card. India should emerge not only as a software industry, but as an "ICT (Information and communication technology) industry".

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/05/28/microsoft.glitch.reut/index.html Microsoft pulls update for Windows

Wednesday, May 28, 2003 Posted: 9:34 AM EDT (1334 GMT) SEATTLE, Washington (Reuters) -- Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it has withdrawn a security update for its Windows XP software after discovering that it switched off Internet connections for some of the 600,000 users who downloaded and installed it.

The update, a small software addition that is used to fix and add features to existing software programs, was originally aimed at improving the security of Internet connections.

But after releasing the update on May 21, Microsoft discovered it was incompatible with other security firewall software used to protect home computers from attacks over the Internet. Removing the software

That shut down Internet connections for some of the users who had other security software already installed on their computers. Microsoft said those users were not at risk of a security breach and did not experience widespread system crashes.

Removing the software update would restore the Internet connection, Microsoft said. A new update was being prepared, it said.

--- Raj Mathur raju@linux-delhi.org wrote:

[Cross-posted]

Take on Gates, Kalam tells Indian techies

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2003 11:31:30 PM ]

PUNE: A few months after a disagreement with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates on the issue of software security, President A P J Abdul Kalam on Wednesday called on Indian IT professionals to specialise in open source software rather than relying on proprietary solutions.

Full story at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=4779... (URL may wrap)

-- Raju

Raj Mathur raju@kandalaya.org http://kandalaya.org/ GPG: 78D4 FC67 367F 40E2 0DD5 0FEF C968 D0EF CC68 D17F It is the mind that moves

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Raj Mathur posts :

...

few months after a disagreement with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates on the issue of software security, President A P J Abdul Kalam

The original location at the President of India NIC site at http://presidentofindia.nic.in/S/html/speeches/others/may28_2003_2.htm shows someone using Emacs html-helper mode or some-such. Most of the President's speeches are right justified and it seems that there is an avid GNUhead somewhere inside the President's Secretariat using Emacs.

Hope it is not Raj Mathur gone consulting there.... ;-)