[Linux-aus] [link] Open source helps education effort in ThirdWorld

[Con Zymaris]

On Tue, Sep 16, 2003 at 04:20:04AM +1000, Jason Stokes wrote:
> Arjen Lentz wrote:
> >
> > >From my angle -working for a commercial Open Source vendor- we make
> > money and we grow well, like a healthy company. It does not hurt to sell
> > software products (much) cheaper in appropriate situations, it's only
> > virtual bits, not steel nuts & bolts. Actually, I did the same with my
> > own shareware over 10 years ago.... so nothing new, really ;-)
> 
> I can easily envisage Microsoft licensing software at super-cheap prices
> specifically for the African market, driving out open source
> alternatives.  The price can be raised later, after the IT economy of
> these countries develops and after dependence on Microsoft
> infrastructure is certain.  It could even be promoted as a progressive,
> charitable act: "Microsoft makes software affordable in third world!"

This was almost attemped by Microsoft in Thailand, to compete with that 
country's government 1 Million Linux PC handout. Once world attention was 
focussed on the dramatic Microsoft decrease in licence costs, Microsoft 
quickly canned the idea. They couldn't take the risk that 150 other 
countries would start demanding a 90% decrease in licence costs too.

No, this is not a serious option. They risk opening their own revenue
veins if the adopt this strategy, and fiscally bleeding to death. 

-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
Con Zymaris <conz at cyber.com.au> Level 4, 10 Queen St, Melbourne 03 9621 2377 
Cybersource: Unix/Linux, TCP/IP and Web App. Development  www.cyber.com.au