'Munich is a pioneer of the transition from Windows to Linux..'

<blockquote><h3>German City That Replaced Windows with Linux to Ditch Last Windows XP/2000 PCs</h3>
Munich ready to spend $18 million on the transition

By Bogdan Popa
Jan 20, 2016
Souce

Munich is a pioneer of the transition from Windows to Linux, as the city invested millions of euros in giving up on Microsoft software and embracing the open-source alternative, and it’s now ready to finally ditch the very last PCs still running Windows.

At this point, Munich is still using Windows because there are 41 applications that the local authorities rely on and that could not be ported to Linux until now, but according to a new project estimated at €16.6m ($18.03m), all these PCs will be replaced or pushed out of service by September 2019.

Approximately 1,500 employees of the total 16,000 continue working on systems powered by Windows XP and Windows 2000, but the Munich City Council says that data stored on them has always been secure because they use virtual machines and closed networks to make sure no breaking takes place. These PCs have been used for critical tasks, such as monitoring air pollution in the city.

Huge cost for each employee

It’s estimated that the cost of moving every single employee to modern systems will reach $12,000 (€10,900) when the City Council manages to transfer all 41 applications.

At this point, it’s not yet clear whether all these PCs will be switched to Linux, so Windows still has a chance, as local authorities claim they’ll choose the most appropriate platform to use those critical 41 applications.

“The most appropriate operating system will be chosen for the applications in question,” a spokesman is quoted as saying by TechRepublic.

“Based on the analysis of the technical and business requirements in phase one, a specification will be developed for each application, defining and describing the target platform and also the process for its migration to that platform.”

Right now, approximately 15,000 employees of the Munich City Council are using Linux and open-source alternatives to Microsoft software, including the LibreOffice productivity suite. The migration was started in 2013 and has already been completed with the exception of the PCs still running the critical apps.</blockquote>


Context

<blockquote>(Open Source) - Munich: '..LiMux has been a success, has shown how flexible and effective free software is..'[/ul]

(Open Source) - '..where business rivals work hand-in-hand with code.'</blockquote>