For first time, open source OK'd for UK schools

The most amazing part of this news is that it's actually news. Just read the report from the Inquirer:

OPEN SOURCE companies have been granted official permission to supply software to the UK public sector for the first time in British history.

The breakthrough came when two open source companies – Sirius Corp. and Novell UK – won a place on Britain's little software list, the £80 million Software for Educational Institutions Framework. The reality is that companies not on the list have scant chance of winning a procurement contract for British schools.

"Schools would say, 'we want this stuff, it doesn't cost us anything and its really good'," said Mark Taylor, president of Sirius. "The LA would say, 'well the software's not on the list, there isn't a supplier who can supply it on the list, so you're on your own with that."

"So obviously there's a reasonable amount of pressure on the schools not to [operate outside the framework]," he said.

While Novell has been on the list before, it hasn't been listed as an open source vendor.