On Wed, 2004-03-10 at 16:02, j_low wrote:
eg a school might say yikes, if MSSA is declared void isn't this going to put my software costs up? I'd better say nowt.
I spoke to the IT manager of one major school today who moreorless said just that! Their view seemed be be that they had thousands of pounds worth of MS software very cheaply and wouldn't want to rock the boat.
John
Their view that they have something of a particular "worth" is perhaps a perception only. The perception is based on the fact that the software is sold to other individuals and organizations for a larger sum than the schools are required to pay. Rather than thinking of the software as having a value to the school, think of the value that the software being used by the school has to Microsoft. The Microsoft Schools Agreement is in existence because MS needs to appear to be giving good value to schools. It can't be seen to be ripping them off, especially with alternative systems becoming much more viable. If the MS Schools Agreement is (rightly in my opinion) deemed illegal in certain aspects, I do not believe that MS will rescind it from schools. Instead it will be forced to change the terms of the agreement such that a school won't have to include Apple Macs or a suite of Linux boxes in reckoning up their total fee payable to Microsoft. Seb James -- Educational Systems Hypercube Systems Ltd Providing Open Source ICT solutions for schools. Tel: 0845 458 0277 Web: www.hypercubesystems.co.uk Mob: 07900 958964 Email: seb@hypercubesystems.co.uk