A two million euro, three to four year framework contract for providing open source support was awarded to open source specialist Alter Way, system integrator Capgemini and Java specialist Zenika by Disic, the central IT department for the French government. The three will provide support for no less than 350 open source tools used by 15 of the 22 ministries in France.

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A two million euro, three to four year framework contract for providing open source support was awarded to open source specialist Alter Way, system integrator Capgemini and Java specialist Zenika by Disic, the central IT department for the French government. The three will provide support for no less than 350 open source tools used by 15 of the 22 ministries in France.

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A campaign for free software has garnered the support of 267 candidates running for France's National Assembly in next months' elections. Most supporters (149 signatures) are Europe Ecology–The Greens candidates. The Pirate Party comes second, with 54 signatures.

The past few days many more names were added to the list of candidates that have signed the 'Free Software Pact'. The latest signatories include Delphine Heuclin (Left Front), Laurent Grandguillaume (Socialist Party) and Gilles Laschon (Europe Ecology–The Greens).

A campaign for free software has garnered the support of 267 candidates running for France's National Assembly in next months' elections. Most supporters (149 signatures) are Europe Ecology–The Greens candidates. The Pirate Party comes second, with 54 signatures.

The past few days many more names were added to the list of candidates that have signed the 'Free Software Pact'. The latest signatories include Delphine Heuclin (Left Front), Laurent Grandguillaume (Socialist Party) and Gilles Laschon (Europe Ecology–The Greens).

The University Library at the Catholic Institute of Toulouse experienced an easy migration from one open source library management system to the other, reports Bamboo, a French blog specialising on document management tools. Main reason for the switch is that the university wanted easier access to Sudoc (Système Universitaire de Documentation).

Magali Hurtrel-Pizarro, the library's curator, explains that the library decided to consider only open source systems. "We have had positive experiences with this kind of software since 2005."

The University Library at the Catholic Institute of Toulouse experienced an easy migration from one open source library management system to the other, reports Bamboo, a French blog specialising on document management tools. Main reason for the switch is that the university wanted easier access to Sudoc (Système Universitaire de Documentation).

Magali Hurtrel-Pizarro, the library's curator, explains that the library decided to consider only open source systems. "We have had positive experiences with this kind of software since 2005."

French president Nicolas Sarkozy says that 15 percent of the IT budgets of the country's public administrations is spent on purchasing services on free and open source software and that this amount is growing by 30 percent per year, reports CNLL (Conseil National du Logiciel Libre), a trade group representing IT companies providing free and open source software services. Sarkozy told the group that free software is "strategic for the development of France's digital sector."

French president Nicolas Sarkozy says that 15 percent of the IT budgets of the country's public administrations is spent on purchasing services on free and open source software and that this amount is growing by 30 percent per year, reports CNLL (Conseil National du Logiciel Libre), a trade group representing IT companies providing free and open source software services. Sarkozy told the group that free software is "strategic for the development of France's digital sector."