I work in the software/hardware purchasing department at a University of Wisconsin school, and what has recently happened in Wisconsin is most likely going to happen in other states and to other universities when their Microsoft contracts run out.
Basically, our contract ran from July 98 to July 03. Microsoft was giving us licenses at a huge discount, most likely at a "loss" to them. Education wasn't a money-maker, it was a way to get market share. Now M$ is looking for ways to keep the cash coming in every year. So what did they do to the UW-System? When it was time to renegotiate the system-wide contract, they demanded more and more money. Since Wisconsin is going through a terrible fiscal crisis, it would be mad to spend upwards of $10 million (they wanted nearly $1 million from each campus) on a five-year software contract. UW-Madison is not going to use Microsoft products for at least this academic year, because they simply refused to pay up. At my campus, the software purchasing agent has fought tooth over nail to keep at most, Office and Windows, because, it would be very hard to switch over to alternatives and pray that we would still be legal. The student software purchase program, which was really, really good, was a "benefit" of the 98-03 Microsoft contract. It ran about $25 for Office and $40-60 for OSes. The way that contract worked, licenses would expire when the contract ended. M$ decided that they would be nice, but still make money, by offering perpetual licenses for $65-85. Didn't buy a regular license? You're now a software pirate - illegal copy! Now students only get a Microsoft Select volume discount, about $81 for all software, and it is a completely separate contract from the system-wide one. What shocks me is that there was very, very little mention of this anywhere. Regular news, Mac news, PC news, nothing was said anywhere. This was really a back-stabbing, typical Microsoftian tactic, and they decided to be even nastier and pull it during a time that they KNEW that there was budget constraints. Oh, and the same student purchase program has a contract with Apple. I can get a copy of OS X for $49. It takes a little while for copies to become available after the release date, but it's worth the discount. Panther should be available mid-December, I hope. Peter > From: "J Sand" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: "G-List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 00:36:25 -0600 > To: "G-List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: get Mac Office for $50 > > > Wisconsin has a similar state wide program, though the software is more than > $10. Something this year of having to buy licenses with it. I got Office > 98 for Mac fo $25. > > > >> His school is either subsidizing the cost or has a site-license type deal >> with Microsoft. -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
