‘Microsoft is going to lose its monopolistic stance on the Russian market; even now, a number of businesses in quite a few cities, including Yekaterinburg, are switching to alternative software, which means some competition is starting to build up. As regards high schools, they are busy introducing Linux-based operating systems in their computer labs; Russian distribution kits are now based on Linux ASP, Linux XP, and Linux Manriva,’ Dmitriy Amirov of Cift Competence Center said to UrBC.

The Russian Federation Minster for IT and Communication Leonid Reiman announced that all school computers in Russia would have been fitted with Russian software by 2009. Mr. Amirov believes this decision could have been brought about by three factors: firstly, Microsoft will stop offering discounts to Russian customers in three years’ time; secondly, Linux operating system appears to have an easily accessible magic number (a quality that Microsoft software lacks), which makes it more suitable for educational purposes; thirdly, being dependent on one monopolist means you can’t introduce any nice educational software by other producers.

‘I wouldn’t wholly rely on Mr. Reiman’s words, though, since all kinds of authorities start making statements of this sort during the election campaigns. I don’t think the total switch will actually take place; people won’t give up MS Windows altogether; instead, they will start introducing Linux and MS Windows on a par basis,’ Mr. Amirov notes.