[TriLUG] MS gets smart - strikes deal with universities

[Jon Carnes]

Microsoft has made a deal with University of Nebraska and is looking to
extend that to other Universities. The university pays a big lump sum
for a licensing contract and then all the students can purchase
Microsoft products at Employee prices: WinXP OS for $4.99, Office for
$9.99, ...

This is smart on a lot of levels. First of all Microsoft gets income
from a sector that has been running away from it - and into the arms of
Linux and other Open Source initiatives. 

Secondly, it reaffirms Microsoft as the standard OS and it Applications
as the defacto norm, in an environment that is training tomorrows
business leaders.

Thirdly, it limits the use of Linux and other Open Source alternatives
in the University settings, thereby limiting the fertile ground from
which many Open Source applications are currently maintained and
developed.

http://www.dailynebraskan.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/09/27/3d940117701f3

Jon