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Thai schools reject Microsoft

Staff, CNETAsia CNET News

Published: 26 Sep 2003 15:20 BST

Concerns about intellectual property rights and software costs have prompted 18 Thai schools to switch to an open-source productivity suite, according to officials at the country's National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec).

The schools are already teaching their students the Office TLE productivity suite, which was partly developed in Thailand, said a report in the Bangkok Post.

Cost savings was another factor that the schools had considered, said the report.

The director of a high school in the country said in the report that Microsoft software upgrades were expensive and would have cost a million baht (£15,062) to license 300 computers.

Although licence fees are not required with Office TLE, the program is not as convenient to use as Microsoft's suite, according to pupils interviewed.

From 1 September, China-made office suite Kingsoft WPS Office 2003 replaced Microsoft Office in Shanghai public schools, following a raid by anti-piracy officials and a demand to pay licence fees.