[ale] [Fwd: Cost of Windows and Office in US vs Thailand]

[Jeff Hubbs]

One of the things that has always bothered me is that when vendors sell
products to the Government on a General Services Administration contract
(a pre-negotiated contract that any Government agency can buy off of
without having to compete the requirement), the price is supposed to be
no higher than that which they offer their best commercial customers.

When MS pulls stuff like this or when they try to equal or beat a
Linux-based offering by basically nulling out the per-seat line item, it
just makes the pricing arbitrary, i.e., it's Tuesday and the moon is
full, so we'll charge $xxx.  It should make anyone who pays a
significant amount for licenses feel like they're getting screwed over.

- Jeff

On Fri, 2003-10-03 at 08:03, Matthew Brown wrote:
> Enjoy!
> -- 
> Best regards,
> 
> Matthew Brown
> CorData, Inc.
> Office:	770-795-0089
> Fax:	404-806-4855
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________
> From: michael_v_brown at us.ibm.com
> To: matthew.brown at cordata.net
> Subject: Cost of Windows and Office in US vs Thailand
> Date: 02 Oct 2003 22:26:26 -0400
> 
> 
> Microsoft's Worm Fund
> In recent financials, Microsoft
> showed an 85 percent profit margin
> on Windows. In countries where
> Linux is a stiff competitor,
> though, the margin drops. In
> Thailand, Microsoft sells Windows
> and Office together for the
> equivalent of $36, according to an
> Aug. 14 Wall Street Journal
> article. The difference between $36
> and the combined $300 or so street
> price that's paid in the United
> States is a kind of "stupid
> Americans" tax.
> 
> Read the full story on the web at:
> http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,1230141,00.asp
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Michael V. Brown
> Lotus Service Manager
> Lotus Customer Advocacy Organization
> IBM Software Group
> Phone: 404-487-2845
> Internet Mail: Michael_V_Brown at US.IBM.COM
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
-- 
Jeff Hubbs <hbbs at comcast.net>