[ubuntu-uk] Help get Windows out of schools

Rik Boland rik_boland at btinternet.com
Mon Feb 9 18:22:11 GMT 2009


That style letter was understandable from Microslop how ever they did forget to say that they also give free lolly pops to all the starving children in the developing countries that they advertise there products

Rik Boland
15 Stanley Place, Lancaster, LA1 5PN      Mobile 07866439588

We need Justice but we also need Grace and Mercy from God to do this.


--- On Mon, 9/2/09, Andrew Oakley <Andrew.Oakley at hesa.ac.uk> wrote:
From: Andrew Oakley <Andrew.Oakley at hesa.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: [ubuntu-uk] Help get Windows out of schools
To: "British Ubuntu Talk" <ubuntu-uk at lists.ubuntu.com>
Date: Monday, 9 February, 2009, 6:06 PM

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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