South Korea refuses Windows 7 in support of Linux

In the middle of May, 2019 Ministry of the Interior and Security of South Korea (Ministry of the Interior and Safety) announced the large-scale project on transfer of computers of government agencies of page Windows on Linux. Such decision was made in connection with the coming termination of term of support Windows 7.

Microsoft will cease to service Windows 7 14 of January, 2020. After that technical assistance and automatic updates from the Center of updating Window will become unavailable to this platform. The company recommends to the clients to pass to Windows 10, but South Korea gave preference to Linux.

According to the The Korea Herald edition with reference to the statement of the South Korean Ministry of Internal Affairs, the ministry will test Linux on the computers and in case of lack of problems with security and compatibility with the websites and programs created for Windows then will begin to distribute OS in other departments.

South Korea refuses Windows 7 and passes to Linux

It is supposed that the mass Linux distribution kits installation in the government will cost to the budget of the country 780 billion wons (about $655 million). This money will go not only for transition to Linux, but also to acquisition of new computers.

What distribution kits are going to be unrolled, not specified. Also an implementation time is not called. Presumably, state agencies will test several Linux distribution kits to select suitable.

The authorities are calculated that use of the open operating system will help to cut down expenses and to eliminate dependence of the country on one platform, the head of bureau of digital services of the ministry Choi Jang-hyuk reported.

When the free support of Windows 7 stops, state institutions should use paid services, and it, considering a huge number the equipment, can cost much to the state. In spite of the fact that expenses on support of alternative OS all the same will be, it is expected that they will be less, than in case of Windows.

According to the ZDNet portal, additional paid support of Windows 7  of Pro — Extended Security Updates (ESU) — during the period from January, 2020 to January of the 2021st will cost the companies and the state organizations at least $50 counting on one device. In a year the payment will grow to $100 for one PC, and in a year — to $200. For clients of Microsoft 365 of a quotation is lower, but over time they increase, notes the edition.

The similar situation with Windows 7 develops with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2: since 2020 the free support of these OS comes to the end.

According to NetMarketShare service (more than 160 million unique users browsing over 40 thousand websites worldwide study activity), in April, 2019 Windows 7 was installed for 36.4% of personal computers worldwide. The global share of Windows 10 made 44.1%, and in an asset of Linux there were about 1.5%.

The StatCounter service analyzing more than 15 billion web browsings on 3 million the websites claims  that according to the results of April, 2019 88.5% of computers in the South Korean market were the share of Windows products. The share of Linux was measured by only 0.43%, and macOS indicator — 7.88%. After large-scale implementation of Linux in state bodies alignment of forces among desktop operating systems in South Korea should change.

Dynamics of change a share in the South Korean market of desktop OS, data of StatCounter

As notes the Engadget edition, despite the fact that potential reduction of income from the South Korean government (which also other governments can follow), hardly it will have considerable effects for Microsoft. By May, 2019 the American corporation in bigger is focused on cloud services, than sale of licenses of Windows.^[1]

Notes