Cost of licenses for operating systems and off-the-shelf software

Dear Mr Jacobsen

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2008040000390
I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 01/04/2008. I note you seek
access to the following information:

* Please provide the following information for the past three financial
years:
* How much money has been spent by the Metropolitan Police Service for
purchasing of licences for COTS (Commercial off-the-shelf) desktop
software (including but not limited to word processors, spreadsheet
software, "Office"-type packages, PDF-generation software, email and
calendar software)?
* How much money has been spent by Metropolitan Police Service for
purchasing of desktop operating systems (e.g. Mac OS, Microsoft
Windows, Linux-based operating systems) ?
* How much money has been spent by Metropolitan Police Service for
purchasing of server operating systems (e.g. Mac OS, Microsoft
Windows, Linux-based operating systems) ?
* How much money has been spent by Metropolitan Police Service for
purchasing of desktop and laptop computers?
* How much money has been spent by Metropolitan Police Service for
purchasing of computer servers?
* On average, after how many years/months are desktop and laptop
computers replaced currently?
* Please present the amounts categorised appropriately according to your
available data (e.g. per vendor or per software category, if
available)
* If budget data for the current financial year is available, please
provide this as well as data for actual spend in the previous years.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act). You will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act,
subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference
to a third party. In some circumstances the MPS may be unable to
achieve this deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and
given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision
of the information you request. If this is the case you will be
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I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest
in the MPS.

Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please
write or contact Shannon Aldridge on telephone number 020 7161 3527
quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Shannon Aldridge
Support Officer
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