I'm aware of the Oz Airservice thing. If Airnoservices win, then NAIPS will in turn end up supporting the charging for access system. How can that be a negative factor for CAA/AIS if the UK/EADs are hoping to do the same?
It's not negative for them, it's negative for the people who will have to pay.
AIS info is in my book safety information and I am against availability of safety information being restricted by a requirement for it to be paid for at the point of delivery. It should be freely available and funded centrally, as it is at the moment.
AsA is attempting to copyright the data. Most of it is IMHO not theirs to copyright. Copyright can exist in original work. Facts like the hours of opening of an aerodrome or the length of its runway are not original work and cannot be copyrighted although the means of presentation, such as a chart or the tabulation or indexing of the data or the design of a database holding the information can.
Re the browser compatibility issue I hear what you say, however AIS have bought commercial off-the shelf software. It works that way because the manufacturer designed it that way, not because AIS demanded it. If UK AIS decide they want it re-written so it will work with Mozilla they will have to pay for the rewrite, which despite what you say will entail a price tag that would be difficult to justify merely to satisfy the preferences of those who are anti-Microsoft and anti-Netscape. The cost would also not end there. The support of a UK bespoke delivery system would also cost more than the support of the standard system.
The web briefing software is only a small part of the overall system, whose prime purpose is the management of a worldwide notam database with information being exchanged internationally with about 180 other AIS's and being disseminated to AFTN subscribers such as ATC units, aerodromes, airlines and briefing services as well as the military. Unlike most business databases the information is also very volatile, time-critical and with a short lifespan and most of the data comes from external feeds from third parties rather than from sources within the database manager's control.
Sorry if I sound negative on something that is clearly important to you but in the overall scheme of things I can't help feeling that resources would be better deployed on making the thing do a better job of delivering relevant info in an easily understood format to the pilot via an intuitive and easy to use interface than in rewriting the entire database front end simply to give a wider choice of browser.
It would save a whole lot of hassle if the CAA would release the raw data so that a variety of independent delivery systems could evolve to suit the preferences of users and make use of innovative technologies to do the job. That we would all have a better chance of getting what we want rather than having to work with a one size fits all solution.
"If half the population has big heads and half the population has small heads we'll make all the hats medium because that's the average size and they will therefore fit the most people."
Mike