Italian City Pesaro went with OpenOffice... ended up costing them a lot more, returning to Microsoft Office

[GoodBytes]

Back in 2011, Pesaro, a city in Italy, tries to save money by switching Microsoft Office to open source office suit, OpenOffice with support of open source advocacy group. The idea was to cut substantially cost of paying for software, a move that many smaller and medium companies tries over the recent years.

But open source doesn't always work out cheaper, as the city of Pesaro realized. In 2011, the local government in the Italian municipality of Pesaro decided to switch from Microsoft Office in favor of OpenOffice, training hundreds of staff to use the replacement suite.

But in 2014, the city had enough. The cost of maintaining OpenOffice and continuously required training, and support for the office suit, ended up costing them more, and they only saw the cost raising. In addition, the city reports that the software had a lot of problems and bugs, it was simply not a viable solution for them. Also, previous Access and Excel files could not be ported to OpenOffice properly due to lack of support of important features which Office had, the city needed. This made them have a hybrid system that they needed to support.

 

We encountered several hurdles and dysfunctions around the use of specific features. What's more, due to the impossibility of replacing Access and partly Excel (various macros used on tens of files), we decided we had to keep a hybrid solution, using the two systems at the same time. This mix has been devastating.

Says the city officials.

Neowin adds:

In a report by the Netics Observatory, commissioned by Pesaro, Bruscoli also said that hundreds of staff were spending up to 15 minutes a day managing file compatibility issues between OpenOffice and Microsoft Office, resulting in thousands of hours of work being wasted each year.

Switching back to Office has started in 2014, and now they are back to Microsoft Office only. According to the Netics Observatory report, the switch back will result in savings of up to 80% on all software spending for the city.

Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/italian-city-ditches-openoffice-says-return-to-office-365-will-reduce-it-costs-by-up-to-80

To clarify something from the news, and as Neowin states at the end as well, that is important to consider, switching to open source alternative is not necessarily more costly. It can lead to substantial savings, but is not a guaranty result. If things don't go properly, it can end up costing a lot more, or substantially more, like with the story above.

[dalekphalm]

Just goes to show, Microsoft Office might cost a shitload, but it still has no equal.

 

For mom and pop writing letters to grandma or doing some very basic word editing, Open Office is just fine. Professionals often will realize the shortcomings quite quickly though. The advanced functions in Excel, for example, are basically non-existent in any competitors software - and even Word has quite a few features that College and University students will find ridiculously useful.

[Murdoch]

Well Open Office is cheaper in the respect it's free for an individual.

 

Factoring in business costs to retrain staff or reformat old documents, would be present for any change in software. So I'm really not sure how this is news. Other than stating the obvious.

[minibois]

Yeah, expected those issues when reading the title.. You can't expect non tech savies to switch to another software easily..

Oh well. Try Google Docs now Italy?

[Misanthrope]

I still don't consider this as points of deterrence towards open office more as what it has not become unbreakable momentum: Esperanto as a language might very well be an overall better method of communicating for people and in the long run would be an overall improvement but the seer effort that one would need to change entire nations and millions to speak Esperanto instead of something like English, Spanish or Mandarin makes it forever unfeasible to change to it.

[GoodBytes]

Well Open Office is cheaper in the respect it's free for an individual.

 

Factoring in business costs to retrain staff or reformat old documents, would be present for any change in software. So I'm really not sure how this is news. Other than stating the obvious.

It is news in the sense that we have solid proof that this is the case, and not supposition, like saying "No, OpenOffice has amazing Office document compatibility" claims that is being thrown on forums by people (replace OpenOffice is whatever alternative software)

[Murdoch]

It is news in the sense that we have solid proof that this is the case, and not supposition, like saying "No, OpenOffice has amazing Office document compatibility" claims that is being thrown on forums by people (replace OpenOffice is whatever alternative software)

 

Well the source is from "Microsoft Italy via ZDnet". So take this for what it is, Microsoft advertising.

 

Edit: Further looking into the source, I found out the original report was also commissioned by Microsoft.

[GoodBytes]

For mom and pop writing letters to grandma or doing some very basic word editing, Open Office is just fine. Professionals often will realize the shortcomings quite quickly though. The advanced functions in Excel, for example, are basically non-existent in any competitors software - and even Word has quite a few features that College and University students will find ridiculously useful.

But the real question, is: Is it really?

How about your valuable time in helping them transition, or helping viewing documents that was sent to them that has formating problem, or they send documents to people and they can't see it right. Not to mention the basic: support, and training your parents?

So I think even for this, it needs to be evaluated on a per case by case basis, and not just assume.

[GoodBytes]

Well Open Office is cheaper in the respect it's free for an individual.

 

Factoring in business costs to retrain staff or reformat old documents, would be present for any change in software. So I'm really not sure how this is news. Other than stating the obvious.

Microsoft is obviously reporting it, but it is back by the report, and backed up again by the city very own finding/realization.

[Murdoch]

Microsoft is obviously reporting it, but it is back by the report, and backed up again by the city very own finding/realization.

 

See my edit. The report that was commissioned by Microsoft. Hardly what I'd call unbiased.

[Master Disaster]

Just one small question, isn't Open Office now called Libre Office or is that another alternative?

 

My Mum tried to switch to Open Office a few years back to run her business with. I spent hours installing it on her machines (I left MS office on there too, I'm not stupid) only for her to never use it, like I think she only opened the word processor twice before switching back of MS Office.

 

Say what you want about monopolies but MS Office is far superior to any alternative, it always has been and it always will be.

[dragosudeki]

The only problem with it is that OpenOffice isn't used by a large amount of people like Microsoft Office. Transitioning to the other software takes some time to get used to, especially with all the differences in UI and features (MS Office is a bit better though). It would be the equivalent of hiring people who use Photoshop and getting them to now use Gimp or some other alternative. This is also like trying to get right handed people to now use their left hand mainly. Change takes time to get used to, but time is too expensive.

[Misanthrope]

But the real question, is: Is it really?

How about your valuable time in helping them transition, or helping viewing documents that was sent to them that has formating problem, or they send documents to people and they can't see it right. Not to mention the basic: support, and training your parents?

So I think even for this, it needs to be evaluated on a per case by case basis, and not just assume.

 

Precisely. If anything, I see no good reason why you shouldn't use both: you actually get some Microsoft licenses to certain people like most middle managers around the office that have been using this stuff for years and would have a really hard time changing. For others like IT personnel you can transition them to openoffice as well as entry level employees that only have to do very basic data entry and such or that otherwise should have restricted access to the full office suit anyway.

 

If you mix and match you can easily get away with paying a less expensive licensing deal with Microsoft while having others on open office and still function relatively ok with it. It's also why many companies have Linux servers for some stuff but mostly Windows clients for regular employees: pays up to take a look at your specific needs to mix and match.

[GoodBytes]

See my edit. The report that was commissioned by Microsoft. Hardly what I'd call unbiased.

Ok. But I think the city notices their own findings. They realized that they are spending more.. A LOT more.

It is the city that decided to put the breaks on it. The city didn't wait for a report to make the decision to revert back.

[GoodBytes]

Precisely. If anything, I see no good reason why you shouldn't use both: you actually get some Microsoft licenses to certain people like most middle managers around the office that have been using this stuff for years and would have a really hard time changing. For others like IT personnel you can transition them to openoffice as well as entry level employees that only have to do very basic data entry and such or that otherwise should have restricted access to the full office suit anyway.

 

If you mix and match you can easily get away with paying a less expensive licensing deal with Microsoft while having others on open office and still function relatively ok with it. It's also why many companies have Linux servers for some stuff but mostly Windows clients for regular employees: pays up to take a look at your specific needs to mix and match.

That is a good idea that might actually work better.

[Yoinkerman]

Yeah desk workers are basically trained monkeys when it comes to office software. If they take out the cost of training, which would be the same for any platform, and laugh at the "up to 15min a day lost with compatibility" garbage, it's probably much less expensive. How much is lost every day due to office issues? Or just in general lost? I'm sure there are bigger time wasters than that.

[deviant88]

Not sure if you posts only positive MS news(since it has so many haters) or this news is relevant in any way lol, the problem lies somewhere else.

What does it mean staff retraining? where did that staff learned MS Office in the first place? at highschool/universities? then theres your problem the school didnt adapt to OpenOffice or LibreOffice, they should have asked the leaders of municipality or whole country to introduce openoffice/libreoffice in paralel to MS Office at schools so they can save costs of buying MS Office subs or retrain staff themselves.

The solutions are easy as cake, the problem is the people are a pain to deal with and make them adapt or change something.This sort of efficient micromanagement happens very rarely as far as i know from watching politics, and thats exactly where the growth lies the most.

I cant see how a single company/corporation could have convinced anyone of adding open source software into schools, so they tried retraining staff themselves thats where the fail is.

Theres nothing wrong with open source software, its the system/companies that dont know how to adapt.Tell me what universities adapted to blender 3d completely for free instead of stupid expensive Autodesk 3ds/maya? probably few to none. 

[Murdoch]

Ok. But I think the city notices their own findings. They realized that they are spending more.. A LOT more.

It is the city that decided to put the breaks on it. The city didn't wait for a report to make the decision to revert back.

 

Yeah, I'm not saying the company didn't benefit from MS office, or indeed waste money from switching to Open Office. I'm just saying this is what it is, Microsoft finding an example of this happening, then publicising it. As an advertisement.

 

I'm sure Open Office could find an example of their software saving a company money too.

[GoodBytes]

Yeah, I'm not saying the company didn't benefit from MS office, or indeed waste money from switching to Open Office. I'm just saying this is what it is, Microsoft finding an example of this happening, then publicising it. As an advertisement.

 

I'm sure Open Office could find an example of their software saving a company money too.

Oh yea. I agree. For sure MS is using it as a big ad. They are trying to retain their market share.

[Misanthrope]

Yeah desk workers are basically trained monkeys when it comes to office software. If they take out the cost of training, which would be the same for any platform, and laugh at the "up to 15min a day lost with compatibility" garbage, it's probably much less expensive. How much is lost every day due to office issues? Or just in general lost? I'm sure there are bigger time wasters than that.

 

Wouldn't go as far: Remember that training in Microsoft products happens for virtually all people: most Administrative job degrees include basic computer science lessons that teach the basics of the office suit and the windows os to people. This costs you usually don't consider because they are so ever present in the modern world most employees already paid for that along with their education. 

 

Now if people were trained in say, Linux, since elementary school like I have for dos and windows 3.11 back then (yes I am old) then we'd have a world full of people ready for Linux and Open office however because of the limited market nobody trains people in schools for that, kind of a chicken and egg situation.

[GoodBytes]

Not sure if you posts only positive MS news(since it has so many haters)

I do report non-good news from Microsoft, but I am usually beaten to it. I think they (news/blog) used as click bait with over-sensationalized titles (as it is easy to do), ans spreads everywhere on the web, so other here are able to post it faster than me.

I used to post all kind of news, but I started to be beating to it in there as well, so I am trying to find a spot. But yes, you are right, I do need to try and find a balance.

[patrick3027]

Just one small question, isn't Open Office now called Libre Office or is that another alternative?

LibreOffice is a fork of OpenOffice. Oracle decided to change the license of OpenOffice a while back. Developers were angry, took the source code and made LibreOffice. All LibreOffice developers are basically old OpenOffice developers.

OpenOffice hasn't received any meaningful update in several years. No wonder they were having issues with opening M$ documents. They should have switched years ago to LibreOffice. Heck, I once had a .docx made in Word for Mac. Couldn't open it with Word on Windows so I had to use LibreOffice. Yes, LibreOffice is better at opening Word documents than Word...

Also the source is M$ Italy, says it all...

[Toddskins]

The argument of the study is that switching to something different not only has a costly learning curve, but a costly compatibility curve, too.  No kidding, Microsoft?  Really? Duh!

Now, my whole reason for logging in to write this post is this:

Take that same argument and use it AGAINST aforementioned company regarding switching to a new Operating System, where people have a costly learning curve AND existing software does not all work for various reasons.

Another cost that Microsoft fails to mention (so I'll do it for them), is health cost.  Yes, my mental health (sanity), and keeping frustration level to zero, is all accomplished by NOT moving to a new Operating System.




 

[linuxfan66]

LibreOffice is a fork of OpenOffice. Oracle decided to change the license of OpenOffice a while back. Developers were angry, took the source code and made LibreOffice. All LibreOffice developers are basically old OpenOffice developers.

OpenOffice hasn't received any meaningful update in several years. No wonder they were having issues with opening M$ documents. They should have switched years ago to LibreOffice. Heck, I once had a .docx made in Word for Mac. Couldn't open it with Word on Windows so I had to use LibreOffice. Yes, LibreOffice is better at opening Word documents than Word...

Also the source is M$ Italy, says it all...

no surprises there really. im surprised the root open office still exists...

[BloodySinner]

Speaking of Microsoft Office, where can I purchase an affordable version of it?