Brazil to Replace Open Source Software with Microsoft Products

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The Brazilian government is reportedly pondering an en masse transition from open source software to Microsoft products, including here Windows 10 and the Office productivity suite.

ZDNet writes that Brazil is asking federal government bodies to express the intention of buying Microsoft software by Friday, November 11, in an effort to “generate cost efficiencies and standardize the IT applications across departments.”

Previously, the government was betting big on open-source software, pretty much because of the reduced licensing costs, but at the same time, authorities pushed for continued development of similar products that could help address the need for a wider range of solutions and options.

But it appears that the lack of interest from developers, as well as the lack of skilled professionals, caused this plan to fail, so Brazil is now looking to migrate from its open-source model to Microsoft as part of what’s described as the biggest purchase of products developed by the Redmond-based software giant that ever took place in the country.

Microsoft scoring big

Specifics are not available for the time being, but it appears that Windows 10 and Office are two of the products that government departments are most interested in, along with Windows Server that should help set up the needed infrastructure to manage data.

Microsoft hasn’t issued a statement given the fact that negotiations are still under way behind closed doors, but there’s no doubt that if Brazil goes for its own products, this is a major win for the American giant, especially because it replaces open-source software.

In the last few years, open-source solutions have been more widely adopted, not only in the consumer market, but also among authorities across the world, and the city of Munich has pioneered this transition.

And yet, recent reports indicate that even Munich is considering a potential return to Windows and Office, as some departments are complaining about the efficiency of the LiMux operating system and the other open-source software solutions.