The European Commission, a thorn in Microsoft’s side for its antitrust campaigns against the software giant, is falling short in its own internal attempt to promote competition in the technology sector.
The European Union executive has so far not followed its own policy of purchasing office software and operating systems with open standards, as well as Microsoft products.
“For the moment we are working in a Microsoft environment,” said Christos Ellinides, director of corporate IT solutions and services, who recommends software for the commission.
Last week, Neelie Kroes, the European competition commissioner, noted the commission’s pledge to buy open-standard software. “This policy, adopted last year, needs to be implemented with vigor,” she told an audience.
The policy requires that all future procurement should promote software using “open, well-documented standards” that operates freely with other software, essentially in desktop and laptop machines. By using open-standard software, the commission would signal it was practicing what it preached in terms of promoting competition in computing.
Ellinides said that studies showed the costs of moving to open source outweighed the benefits. He said it might be time for a new study.
Commissioner Siim Kallas oversees procurement.
“There is a decision that we will explore the possibility of initiating this study on an institutional basis,” he said.
He said the commission could already read and send data in open formats, but a lawyer for open-standards groups disagreed.
“The commission should be more thorough in following their own policies,” said Carlo Piana, based in Milan. “I have clients who have complained that the commission mandates using Excel spreadsheets in some funding projects.” Excel is a Microsoft application.
The city of Munich has dumped Microsoft for open-standard desktops and has said the transition was going well so far.
Ellinides said he planned to talk with Munich representatives this week. Mayor Christian Ude of Munich appeared…