How does a sparce and forgotten corner, the 5th poorest region of the EU, go from the place no ISP would touch to the highest density of computers per student in all of Europe? Guess ...

The use of LinEx does not reach only the traditional educational system, however. It also is used in some public administration centers, hospitals and centers of technological qualification. The centers of technological qualification, called New Centers of the Knowledge, are special schools that train people to use new technologies. These centers offer people who have left school the opportunity to become familiar with computers.
[ via Linux Journal ]

And yes, it gets better: Because they no longer compete or hire from competing proprietary vendors, Extramadura will pool resources with the neighbouring Guadalinex from Andalusia; the two regional projects have an agreement to collaborate on the 2005 version, freeing more time on both teams to address the specifics of their local needs.

Can you imagine that? picture Toronto city council actually sharing their IT budget load with Montreal??!!

A few years back, I was very briefly involved (until I, er, excused myself) consulting to a local town-sponsored proprietary project bent on collecting neighbouring 'investor' township participation on the promise some highly inexperienced developers might maybe produce an asset-management system they could all then gleefully and profitably sell to other townships who likewise wouldn't know any better ...

Needless to say, my suggestion of simply and openly sharing the burden because they, and every other small municipality across the entire planet, already share the need was, well, frankly, not well received. Egad, man. Spend our tax money to make a Community Property that we'd just turn around and share???

No siree, they was all gonna be rich -- or at least be able to boast to their respective councils of the sacred positive cash flow.

I often wonder how it all turned out.