[ubuntu-uk] Help get Windows out of schools

[Andrew Oakley]

LeeGroups wrote:
> Andrew Oakley wrote:
[MS home/academic/student licences at up to 90% discount]
> > If you try to argue against Microsoft on grounds of price, 
> > you'll fail every time. Home users, schools, universities
> > and students don't pay full rate for software. Only
...
> I  understand what we're saying about up front costs vs. 
> support costs, BUT, even at £35 for a copy of Office, and
...
> That's, say, £8,000 on MS software that could have been spent on 
> hardware...  And it's not like it's one-off cost, with the gradual 

I think you're missing the point. Schools and universities are, in the UK, reasonably well-funded. Below a certain point, ***price is generally not a consideration AT ALL***, regardless of whether they spend it on hardware or software or consumables. Ten thousand pounds here or there is a couple of sides of A4 grant application paperwork, not a major concern.

Microsoft's academic discount simply reduces the cost so that it is "not a barrier" rather than the price being attractive in its own right. To repeat: Below a certain point, ***price is generally not a consideration AT ALL*** in the school/college IT sector.

Schools and universities install Microsoft because that's what employers demand to see most often on CVs. The institution considers "can we provide training for the skills that the employers want most often" and if the answer is yes, they try to do it.

The school or college makes a business case to their funding body (can you see where my job comes in here yet?). They say something like "N% of local employers are demanding $TECHNICAL_THINGY skills, it will cost us $GBP_IRRELEVANT_AMOUNT". The funding body (eg. LEA) says "Right ho, that's a good business case, here is $GBP_IRRELEVANT_AMOUNT". If the funding body can't afford it, it goes to central government and says "We have M% unemployment in our area. If you paid us $GBP_IRRELEVANT_AMOUNT then we could reduce unemployment by P%" and central government decides whether or not to cough up.

It has virtually nothing to do with price and everything to do with employers' skill demands.

If local businesses demand OpenOffice from schools and colleges, then it will happen.

If geek dads demand OpenOffice... no effect.

Andrew Oakley
Head of Software Development
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
95 Promenade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1HZ

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