According to a report from The Press Association, it has been estimated that the UK government might have spent up to $331 million on Microsoft Office since 2010. One of the concerns was how the major software used in the government was supplied only by a handful of companies. According to Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude, “The software we use in government is still supplied by just a few large companies. A tiny oligopoly dominates the marketplace.” However despite their reservations, moving away from Microsoft Office might not be as straightforward as one might think.
Sure there will be a learning curve for government employees to learn the new software, but there could also be other complications. For example a few years ago, the UK government actually admitted that it would be more cost effective to continue using Internet Explorer 6 rather than upgrading to Internet Explorer 8.