[GLLUG] Comments please

[Christopher Hunter]

On 22/07/2023 22:32, Andy Smith via GLLUG wrote:
> A great plan that involves merely making enemies of:
>
> - The UK government
> - Microsoft
> - The entire US health insurance industry
>
> 😀
>
> I don't want to be negative about someone else's idealistic goal. It
> would be great if you succeeded.
>
> Cheers,
> Andy
>
Making enemies of the three vested interests above would prove 
interesting....

The UK Government was signed up - effectively in perpetuity - to MS by 
Tony Blair (supposedly in return for a Belgravia house!). If we get a 
Labour government next time around, Blair will be the "power behind the 
throne", since the current incumbents of the Labour leadership are 
utterly without any sort of clue.

However, if we get a Conservative government, things are likely to 
markedly change.   Sunak and much of his cabinet are probably going to 
be replaced before the election (since they see this as the only chance 
of winning).  Their replacement cabinet will certainly be open to the 
possibility of a change from the MS brokenware that government has 
suffered for years, and the idea of reduced licencing costs will be 
appealing in the straightened times we're likely to have to endure.

Microsoft are no longer seen as the only credible software provider (by 
government).  When I was working in local government ten years ago we 
were already replacing Windows-based machines with Linux machines, 
(usually Ubuntu).  My department had several Unix-based servers (that 
had been in use since the early 90s), and these were changed to SUSE (in 
the first instance), and later to RHEL.  These are still in use and 
regularly updated and properly maintained.  They have had several 
hardware updates in recent years, but the OS has remained the same.....

The US health insurance industry has no real business in the UK. They do 
operate some of the insurance-based schemes over here (like BUPA), but 
these can easily be replaced with local schemes (as has already happened 
in some local government - BUPA were dropped in favour of Aviva and 
Vitality).

None of the three listed above need to be an issue!

CEH