FreeSoft and Ingres Win Multi-Million Dollar Hungarian Government Open Source Software Tender
Ingres Corporation, the leading open source database management company and pioneer of the New Economics of IT, and FreeSoft PLC, Hungary's leading service provider in the software development sector, have won the Hungarian government's open source software tender that has a four-year, $22.3 million budget.
A consortium of seven companies led by FreeSoft participated in winning the tender. During the next four years, these companies will supply the Hungarian government with software worth 4 Ft billion Hungarian forints, which is approximately € 15 million euros, or $22.3 million US dollars. As the open source database of choice, Ingres will play an active role in all FreeSoft projects.
"This is one of the largest open source procurements I have seen and we applaud the Hungarian Government for leading the way in introducing competition and cutting back on proprietary software purchases," said Roger Burkhardt, CEO, Ingres. "In my opinion, the Hungarian Government is showing the European Union that there is plenty of open source competition in the market today. I anticipate that more Government bodies than before will be following Hungary's lead and will benefit from the cost savings that come with an open source deployment."
For the first time this year the Hungarian government decided to publish a tender for a software framework agreement in the open source sector. The Hungarian government recognized that open source software can liberate the government from its dependency on the software development and pricing policies of proprietary providers, as well as help slash public spending with no advance license fees or hidden exit costs. Open source software also has the maturity, security, and stability of proprietary solutions. This has been shown in many successful open source applications, such as those implemented by the Scandinavian government, as well as German local authorities, such as the Munich City Council and Schwäbisch Hall.
"After it was announced that we had won the tender, our share price rocketed by 60 percent. We are of course delighted by this fantastic development," said Ilona Eck, CEO at FreeSoft Plc. "This tender is further proof that the time for open source software has come and that the commercial open source business model will change the world of software business going forward. With Ingres as our partner and its enterprise-capable database solutions and world-class support, we are in the best possible position to drive share prices even higher."
FreeSoft Plc. is listed on the Budapest stock exchange and is one of the largest software companies in Hungary. It is firmly established on the market as a successful reseller of computer hardware and software. Founded in 1990, FreeSoft Plc. currently has more than 330 employees. Through its acquisitions of Axis Consulting 2000 Ltd., BankSoft Ltd., and HUMANsoft Ltd., which are now subsidiaries of FreeSoft Plc., the group is able to offer its customers an expansive product portfolio in many sectors including enterprise content management, online, services, software development, and integrated business applications. With this new partnership, FreeSoft has further expanded its database portfolio creating a robust open source basis for mission-critical applications for its customers.
"According to the latest report from the market research company Lünendonk, the Hungarian software market has been achieving an average eight percent sales growth since 2004," said Bertram Mandel, vice president, sales and services and managing director, Ingres Germany. "With FreeSoft, we have gained a strong partner, and working together we will be able to meet head on the growing demands of this upwardly mobile market. FreeSoft has an excellent portfolio, an outstanding level of expertise in this sector, and superb connections in the Hungarian market. By joining forces, we will be able to convince current and prospective FreeSoft customers of the potential of open source solutions and of the New Economics of IT approach to business."
About FreeSoft
FreeSoft Nyrt. The Group's principal activity is to provide software development services. The Group operates in eleven segments: Hardware Sales, Business Intelligence, ERP implementation, Custom Development, Sale of Software Licenses, System Integration, Enterprise Content Management, Services, Operation of Informatics architecture, Legacy Modernization and Design of Mobile and Internet Applications. The Group, based on its' activities, recognizes the following geographical areas: Domestic, the European Union and the United States. More information: http://www.freesoft.hu/en/
About Ingres
Ingres is the leading open source database management company. We are the world's second largest open source company and the pioneer of the New Economics of IT, providing business-critical open source solutions at a dramatically reduced cost than proprietary software vendors. As a leader in the New Economics of IT, Ingres delivers low cost and accelerated innovation to more than 10,000 customers worldwide.
Ingres is a registered trademark of Ingres Corporation. All other trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies.
Contacts:
Ingres Corporation
Sherry Lowe, 650-587-5544
Corporate
Communications
sherry.lowe@ingres.com
or
eloquenza
pr gmbh
Svenja Op gen Oorth/Jaya Hegele, +49 (0) 89 24 20 38-0
ingres@eloquenza.de
