Consider the deal that Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) snagged with the London borough of Newham, announced in early August. Looking to overhaul their computer systems, the Brits originally planned to dump Microsoft's Windows and switch to open-source programs, including Linux. But when they commissioned a study to evaluate costs, they found it would be cheaper to stick with Windows. So they signed on for a 10-year deal.
"We think the savings following the Linux route would have been about half what they were when following the Microsoft route," says Richard Steel, Newham's director of information and communications technology.
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