UNHAPPINESS among Bulgarian software companies about the monopoly position of Microsoft has led to the founding of the first firm totally devoted to developing and implementing the open-source operation system Linux.
The idea for the creation of Linux Business Solutions (LBS) emerged from hot debate last year about the contract between Microsoft and the Bulgarian Government.
The owner of the company, Veselin Slavchev, said business solutions based on open source were cheaper and because of this, better for Bulgarian administrations. But they were not being used because of the aggressive marketing policy of Microsoft and the lack of companies to promote open-source.
"We do not intend to be opposition to Microsoft, just to show an alternative," Milena Popova, marketing manager of LBS told The Sofia Echo.
Popova said that their company would not pursue an aggressive marketing policy, but would inform its clients about the advantages of open-source software.
She said the media had overreacted about the role of LBS on the market, because the public was very sensitive about the Microsoft monopoly.
LBS provides business solutions based on the open-source operating system Linux which are very cost effective, according to the company's web-site. Linux kernel is distributed for free and that lowers the price of the software. For corporate clients there are complex solutions, including OS, networking, internet access, messaging, Office applications and ERP with BI. LBS also offers support.
In June last year, the Govern-ment closed a $13 million deal with Microsoft for a total of 30 000 copies of operation systems and office software for state administration. Soon after that, MPs from the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) filed a complaint with Prosecutor-General Nikola Filchev against the contract.
They said the Government had made the deal in violation of the Public Procurement Act, and said State Administration Minister Dimitar Kalchev had knowingly and wilfully exceeded his authority.
Kalchev has countered that the Public Procurement Act could not have been applied in this case, because it was impossible to invite a tender for a product the copyright to which was held solely by Microsoft.
Earlier this year, the head of the association of internet clubs, Orlin Borissov, requested a meeting with the authorities, which had started running more frequent checks on internet clubs after closing the deal with Microsoft.
These checks often resulted in confiscation of PCs as a sanction for owning illegal software. Some clubs were on the verge of bankruptcy, Vassilev said.
In 2001 the clubs were forced by the authorities to buy Microsoft's Windows 98, but soon after that they claimed this was illegal because Windows 98 could not be used for commercial purposes, and required that the internet clubs buy new software from the same company.
Relations between Bill Gates's empire and the Government have remained warm up to now. Labour and Social Policy Minister Lidia Shuleva was scheduled to attend an annual two-day summit on May 19 and 20, organised by Microsoft Corporation for Government leaders of countries whose administrations use Microsoft software products.
Shuleva was scheduled to participate in a panel discussion on health care and social services, as well as to meet Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates, the Cabinet press centre said.
Kalchev attended the conference in 2002, when the Bulgarian Government purchased 30 000 packages of Microsoft Windows and Office XP software.
The idea for the creation of Linux Business Solutions (LBS) emerged from hot debate last year about the contract between Microsoft and the Bulgarian Government.
The owner of the company, Veselin Slavchev, said business solutions based on open source were cheaper and because of this, better for Bulgarian administrations. But they were not being used because of the aggressive marketing policy of Microsoft and the lack of companies to promote open-source.
"We do not intend to be opposition to Microsoft, just to show an alternative," Milena Popova, marketing manager of LBS told The Sofia Echo.
Popova said that their company would not pursue an aggressive marketing policy, but would inform its clients about the advantages of open-source software.
She said the media had overreacted about the role of LBS on the market, because the public was very sensitive about the Microsoft monopoly.
LBS provides business solutions based on the open-source operating system Linux which are very cost effective, according to the company's web-site. Linux kernel is distributed for free and that lowers the price of the software. For corporate clients there are complex solutions, including OS, networking, internet access, messaging, Office applications and ERP with BI. LBS also offers support.
In June last year, the Govern-ment closed a $13 million deal with Microsoft for a total of 30 000 copies of operation systems and office software for state administration. Soon after that, MPs from the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) filed a complaint with Prosecutor-General Nikola Filchev against the contract.
They said the Government had made the deal in violation of the Public Procurement Act, and said State Administration Minister Dimitar Kalchev had knowingly and wilfully exceeded his authority.
Kalchev has countered that the Public Procurement Act could not have been applied in this case, because it was impossible to invite a tender for a product the copyright to which was held solely by Microsoft.
Earlier this year, the head of the association of internet clubs, Orlin Borissov, requested a meeting with the authorities, which had started running more frequent checks on internet clubs after closing the deal with Microsoft.
These checks often resulted in confiscation of PCs as a sanction for owning illegal software. Some clubs were on the verge of bankruptcy, Vassilev said.
In 2001 the clubs were forced by the authorities to buy Microsoft's Windows 98, but soon after that they claimed this was illegal because Windows 98 could not be used for commercial purposes, and required that the internet clubs buy new software from the same company.
Relations between Bill Gates's empire and the Government have remained warm up to now. Labour and Social Policy Minister Lidia Shuleva was scheduled to attend an annual two-day summit on May 19 and 20, organised by Microsoft Corporation for Government leaders of countries whose administrations use Microsoft software products.
Shuleva was scheduled to participate in a panel discussion on health care and social services, as well as to meet Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates, the Cabinet press centre said.
Kalchev attended the conference in 2002, when the Bulgarian Government purchased 30 000 packages of Microsoft Windows and Office XP software.
