becta

Microsoft could be in even more trouble with European Union competition regulators after a complaint by a British government agency. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA), which oversees computer purchasing in schools ... and colleges, says Microsoft Office doesn't work smoothly enough with other programmes. They argue that Microsoft should use the independent OpenDocument format which makes it easy to transfer files such as spreadsheets or word documents between rival software packages. Microsoft has its own 'open' format, Office Open XML, but critics say it's too ... (view more)

Citing concerns over Microsoft's Office 2007 and Windows Vista licensing terms, Becta , the UK government's agency for education technology has reportedly warned schools against signing licensing agreements, and filed a complaint with the UK's ... Office of Fair Trading, alleging that Microsoft engages in anticompetitive practices in the academic software license marketplace. ArsTechnica is reporting that Becta and Microsoft have been in talks over the issue but have not reached an agreement. In the meantime, Becta is recommending that schools avoid Microsoft's School Agreement subscription ... (view more)

There are no "must-have" features in Vista. It's a "high-risk strategy" to get it early. Installing the operating system within the next twelve months brings about a set of "technical, financial and organizational challenges." That harsh critique of ... Vista comes from an unlikely source: an agency of the UK government. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) "strongly recommends" schools to stay away from Vista for at least a full year. "There is not a case for schools to deploy it unless it is mission-critical stable," Becta technical consultant Tom McMullan stated ... (view more)