Japan govt opts for Linux

TOKYO: Fujitsu Ltd, IBM Japan Ltd and Oki Electric Industry Co have won a $1.59 million contract to design a government payroll computer system using Linux.

The adoption of the Linux open-source operating system, which can be obtained for free and copied or modified, would be a blow to U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp , which wanted the government to use its Windows system for the backbone computer.

Business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun said the contract from the National Personnel Authority is for a system to manage the personnel and payroll information of about 800,000 government employees.

Linux software has become popular among companies and state agencies looking to lower the cost of computer systems.

The paper said the three companies would complete the system's design by March 2004. They are also expected to win the deal for the development of the system itself in a bid planned next summer, it said.

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