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Microsoft Sinks Teeth Into New Orleans

Posted by timothy on from the city-stinks-bad-enough-already dept.

An anonymous reader writes: "The New Orleans Times-Picayune is reporting that Mayor Nagin is considering letting Microsoft upgrade the city's computers free of charge. The catch? New Orleans eventually has to buy the software and Microsoft gets to use the city as a marketing model to push this on the rest of the country." According to the article, a similar system Microsoft developed for Oklahoma "is expected to expand into accident reporting, video arraignment and automated pawn-shop-ticket tracking." So don't worry about privacy -- it's all taken care of. Open bidding's taken care of too: "Because these services are considered a gift, the city won't have to publicly bid the project." Sounds like dirty pool to me.

13 of 366 comments (clear)

  1. At least it's better than suing by WildBeast · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They're offering them a good deal, they're not suing them. For the non-initiated, it's called business.

  2. SCMODS by Redline · · Score: 5, Funny

    From the Article:
    New Orleans police will be using a system Microsoft developed for the state of Oklahoma. Dubbed the Offender Data Information System, the system can link dozens of law enforcement agencies, jails and court systems.

    From the Blues Brothers:
    Elwood:"I bet these cops got SCMODS."
    Jake:"SCMODS?"
    Elwood:"State, County, Municiple Offender Data System."
    Jake:"Shit!"

  3. Hmmm...Not good. by robpoe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It shuts out network OS competition, and it shuts out hundreds of companies that develop applications for cities and governments.

    A lot of cities and their respective police departments have a "no gift" policy. In other words, an officer or government official cannot accept a gift - as it could be seen as a bribe.

    No. Wait. It *is* a bribe.

    "Here, take this software for free so you will be stuck in my neverending upgrade cycle. You'll have to pay me later, then pay me again when you go to upgrade."

    Something stinks here..

    --
    = Grow a brain...
  4. Re:Eventually... by CarbonJackson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The article says they eventually have to buy software, as in down the road they'll pay for software but not the stuff that is being given to them. I'm from New Orleans, and frankly unless something like this happened, there is no way our city's information infrastructure was going to be overhauled. In the article, it said it was saving us $100 million. Except that New Orleans doesn't have $100 million to spend.

    They're not just talking about giving away unlimited copies of Windows XP, they're talking about modernizing and developing systems that antiquated or non-existant. City gov't could go download all the copies of Linux they like, but they still would have to pay people to build the databases and various systems our city lacks. I recently got a traffic ticket down here. On the ticket it tells you can pay on the web or by phone. Guess what? Those systems simply don't exist! Our city's IT capabilities are in shambles.

    Sorry fellas, but this is GOOD thing for the city of New Orleans.

    --

    MikeAtIF*ckStuffedAnimalsDotCom
  5. Don't think you read the article by nharmon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    According to the Slashdot story... "New Orleans eventually has to buy the software..."

    Yet, the article says... Eventually, he added, the city will have to purchase software from the company...

    The article would suggest that future software will not be free. Not that the current software will, in the future, have to be purchased. A minor detail perhaps, but it does explain why the software is a gift.

    It would be like a gun maker giving pistols to a police department a substantial savings, but making them purchase their own magazines, springs, etc.

    I personally don't see a problem with what Microsoft is doing.

    1. Re:Don't think you read the article by ericman31 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The problem with what MS is doing is that they are managing to avoid the procurement process that most government agencies are subject to. Remember the outcry in California when the state sole-sourced a Master License Agreement with Oracle? And then, after a few months of people saying that the state shouldn't have done that, it turned out that there were some shady political contributions from Oracle to the Governor's office.

      If you look at the history of government procurement, racketereering and corrruption laws you will see that they were almost all passed to prevent sole-source government procurement because it's bad for the citizens. This is pretty tricky on Microsoft's part. It certainly violates the spirit of the law, if not the actual letter.

      --
      In my universe I'm perfectly normal, it's not my fault you don't live in my universe.
  6. c'mon! by eddy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If they're indeed trying to get around the open bidding requirement (I assume such exists), then it's called dirty business.

    --
    Belief is the currency of delusion.
  7. Typo in linked article title by Alsee · · Score: 5, Funny

    New Orleans News
    City may get free Microsoft makeover

    Typo: the "m" is makeover should read "t".
    We appologize for the error.

    -

    --
    - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  8. Doesn't make sense by A_Non_Moose · · Score: 5, Funny

    New Orleans is known for booze, sex and debauchery.

    You think they would have chosen BSD.
    . :)

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    Have you read the moderator guidelines? Well, have you, PUNK? (and I want a Karma: Gnarly option)
  9. Why New Orleans is doing this by localroger · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Much as I hate Microsoft, I have to admit this is a smart move on Nagin's part. What the linked article fails to point out is the nature of the system Microsoft is replacing -- an antediluvian mainframe system whose contractor has kept getting the nod because of entrenched patronage since, literally, the days when Elvis was alive. It doesn't mention the death threats (!) which members of the Nagin administration received when they started inquiring about the computer contract.

    Basically, Nagin got elected on a platform of cleaning up the corruption and he'd sign a contract with the Devil himself to get rid of the current scumbags. Wait, he actually did just do that. Well, I for one can't blame him under the circumstances.

    --
    Brackets contain world's first nanosig, highly magnified:[.]
  10. Re:Eventually... by gilroy · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Blockquoth the poster:

    In the article, it said it was saving us $100 million. Except that New Orleans doesn't have $100 million to spend.

    This is almost certainly Bad Politican Math. Who came up with the number? Whom did they consult? I think it is shady, if not illegal, that

    Meffert [city tech officer] who has been working for weeks on the Microsoft deal, recommended the contract cancellation after saying the job could be done for less than $100,000 [emphasis added]

    Did he get those numbers from Microsoft? Perhaps there was an ulterior motive in them?


    We don't really know if this is the best solution, because


    Because these services are considered a gift, the city won't have to publicly bid the project, he said. [emphasis added]

    I'm reminded of the KIA commercial where one guy is bragging about buying the most expensive car in America and KIA guy comments, "Well, mine is the least expensive... I guess I saved $493,000" at which Obligatory Babe's eyes light up in awe of his fortune.


    Whenever anyone advertises using the line "Such a good deal, you can't afford not to buy", you should take a pass.

    --
    The Mongrel Dogs Who Teach
  11. Re:Eventually... by sopwath · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Modernizing and devolpment are great, but just like Linux, New Orleans is going to need people to support Windows. Even at a smaller college here in Minnesota, it can take a lot of man hours to get a new system up and running (whether its wireless, a new mail server, or just updating 300 new computers)

    Getting ahead now is fine, but what is Microsft going to say 5 years from now when its time to upgrade again? Do you really think they'll allow the city to keep its copies of Windows XP when the special license agreement says they must upgrade or else?

    How about maintaining systems that have known major security flaws? Someone finding out you got a traffic ticket might not be a big deal, but what about the fact you got arrested 12 years ago, or how much money you make... Not that Linux is totally secure, but theres a lot easier ways of fixing problems once they're found.

    If you need a system customized for running a traffic ticket managment system, then Linux can be customized to do so. Do you need a way to keep track of city salaries, Linux can do a better job of managing a database of names and income levels.

    If the city doesn't have money to buy software, how are they going to afford the actual hardware to run XP on? Its great for gaming if you can have that 2GHz P4, but for older systems its just going to hold things back.

  12. Hypocritical? by no_nicks_available · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If this was Redhat doing this it would be praised.