South Korea moves from Windows to Linux

Windows 7 End of Life prompted the switch to Linux

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In an effort toprepare for Windows 7’s End of Lifeearly next year, South Korea has revealed that all of its government computers will soon make the switch from Windows to Linux.

The officialWindows 7End of Life is set for January, 14 2020 andMicrosofthas said that it willprovide support for up to three yearsafter that date though companies will need to pay.

However, for governments such asSouth Koreawhich depend on Windows 7, the cost of extended support could quickly become too high to manage. For example, support for Windows Enterprise users using Windows 7 for the first year after the End of Life date will cost $25 per device. This price rises to $50 per device for year two and $100 for year three.

Windows 10’s extreme telemetry also poses another problem as system information is sent back to Microsoft which could be a security risk for South Korea’s government.

Switching to Linux

According toThe Korea Herald, the South Korean government will switch from Windows 7 to a Linux-basedoperating systemthough the country has not yet revealed which Linux distribution will be used.

South Korea will likely test out variousLinux distributionsbefore setting on just one before next January.

The country’s Interior Ministry expects the transition to Linux to be quite costly and the purchase of new PCs are expected to cost the government $655m.

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The ministry’s digital service bureau chief Choi Jang-hyuk said the ministry expects cost reductions by introducing an open-source OS while also avoiding have to rely on a single operating system.

ViaBetaNews

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.

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