Use Microsoft and pay an arm and a leg - well maybe not quite. Schools using Microsoft software have always enjoyed a discount on the number of copies they use for teaching purposes. Until recently charities also used the Academic Open licence. Microsoft got tough on them and shut them out of the cheap licencing system. An Australian charity negotiated with Microsoft and got a good deal paying only 40 percent of the full rate. Seventeen charities now enjoy this benefit.
It pays to negotiate individually. Anglicare Tasmania got an even larger discount. So much pressure was brought to bear that other charities were allowed back onto the new Charity Open licence which is very cheap indeed. Microsoft is still playing a waiting game keeping charities that do not make a challenge on the full enterprise rate.
Let's face it. Microsoft is too greedy. It has the market to itself and governments need to legislate to override international trading laws. It is a monopoly and should be controlled accordingly. Before discounting Microsoft demands $150,000 up front. this is a strong arm tactic. Some countries protect consumers from finance company demands when they cannot pay a loan on time. There should be similar protection laws from Microsoft. Some charities are moving to Red Hat software. They shouldn't have to do this.
It pays to negotiate individually. Anglicare Tasmania got an even larger discount. So much pressure was brought to bear that other charities were allowed back onto the new Charity Open licence which is very cheap indeed. Microsoft is still playing a waiting game keeping charities that do not make a challenge on the full enterprise rate.
Let's face it. Microsoft is too greedy. It has the market to itself and governments need to legislate to override international trading laws. It is a monopoly and should be controlled accordingly. Before discounting Microsoft demands $150,000 up front. this is a strong arm tactic. Some countries protect consumers from finance company demands when they cannot pay a loan on time. There should be similar protection laws from Microsoft. Some charities are moving to Red Hat software. They shouldn't have to do this.
