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from the how-to-drive-away-your-customers dept.
El Reg reports (on 27 Mar)
Software providers such as Microsoft and Oracle are aggressively targeting public sector customers with licence "audit reviews" in a bid to plug falling subscription revenue, according to research. Over one-third of the 436 councils surveyed across the UK have been subject to at least one software licence review in the last 20 months, according to a report from software licensing costs advice company Cerno. Of those, 60 per cent were found to be "under-licensed" and hit with a penalty of up to £50,000.
Out of 132 universities, one quarter have been subject to at least one software licence audit in the last 20 months, it said. "This survey confirms considerable activity in licence reviews by the major software vendors - principally Oracle and Microsoft - and, critically, the high incidence of penalty demands following the review," said Robin Fry, co-founder of Cerno.
gewg_ notes that the solution adopted last century by Dave Richards of the City of Largo, Florida and by Ernie Ball, Inc. keep looking better and better. (It cost the California company $100,000 before they saw the light.)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 07 2015, @01:52PM
Two steps forward, one step back. I guess their new friendly image only applies in the USA? I still think they are a much better company than they were even five years ago, but they still manage to piss me off sometimes.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 07 2015, @07:39PM
To which "two steps forward" are you referring?
their new friendly image
...because, with Windoze10, M$ is releasing whitebox makers from the requirement of users being able to toggle off so-called Secure Boot (actually, a lock-out mechanism for non-M$ OSes) in Setup and that is "friendly".
...because making PART of the code for dotNET "open" (after those parts have ALREADY been reverse-engineered by Mono) is so magnanimous of M$.
...because DirectX still being Windoze-only is M$ being a good neighbor in the computing community.
...because patent-trolling lawsuits have that warm, fuzzy "embrace" feeling.
...because M$'s voluntarily handing over to the NSA all the keys to its backdoors is what all computer users want.
Put down the kool-aid cup and step away from it.
I'll let Roy Schestowitz, PhD take it from here.
Microsoft Hates Linux - Part I - The UEFI Attack on GNU/Linux [techrights.org]
Microsoft Hates Linux - Part II - Patent Lawsuits Against Android/Linux Still Going On, New Ones Filed [techrights.org]
Microsoft Hates Linux - Part III - Abducting the Competition (Android) [techrights.org]
Microsoft Hates Linux - Part IV - Deleting, Attacking Android/Linux From Within [techrights.org]
Microsoft Hates Linux - Part V - Dumping and Surveillance to Counter GNU/Linux Insurgence [techrights.org]
Microsoft Hates Linux - Part VI - Propaganda Wars Against Free Software Facilitated While Media Control is Secured and Abused [techrights.org]
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 07 2015, @08:21PM
Apparently you didn't pick up on the fact that I'm disgusted with them too. Sounds like you've got a hate-boner going on there that would make anyone not as vitriolic as you seem like a Ballmer-licking MS fan. "Their new friendly image" was sarcastic on my part, did that just fly right over your head? As for the two steps forward, yes I was referring to their recent attempts to open up source for some of their products. Love them or hate them, that's a positive thing. But they are obviously still struggling with the baggage of the Old Way of doing things.
You know, you don't have to emulate a basement-dwelling neckbeard spouting 1990s era insults to get across your perfectly valid points. Sure, you made your position known...and you also made a fool of yourself doing so. How about a reasonable, intelligent discussion next time, instead of childish mud-slinging?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 08 2015, @12:34AM
"Their new friendly image" was sarcastic on my part
It has been noted by others in the past that I have missed sarc tags.
a much better company than they were even five years ago doesn't, however, sound like you have a proper level of apprehension about the convicted felons.
"Drank the kool-aid" would be closer to the mark.
their recent attempts to open up source
Which is complete bullshit.
M$'s "open" crap still comes with a PATENTS.TXT file.
See also "embrace, extend, extinguish".
Nothing is "open" now that wasn't covered by actual FOSS **before** M$'s grand announcement.
I already noted that point and you not only didn't refute it with any actual facts, you ignored it.
At best, you are clueless and gullible.
More likely, you are an M$ shill engaged in openwashing.
Anyone who knows the slightest thing about M$ knows their business model is based on being closed and proprietary.
Saying "We are open" and getting their shills in Lamestream Media to repeat that doesn't change a thing.
The people who swallow that bullshit do, however, reveal themselves to be easily-manipulated fools.
childish mud-slinging
...and your comment is different from that description in what way?
I gave specifics. You just made vague ad hominem accusations.
Take just 1 of my points and give an actual description of how it is inaccurate|off-topic.
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 08 2015, @11:27AM
Apparently your reading comprehension is way off. Look up: I said all of your points are perfectly valid. Let me say that again: I agree with you. What I don't care for is your childish approach and your (obviously intentional) penchant for completely ignoring the meat of the comment you're responding to, instead focusing on a few random words and lambasting the commenter out of context. You're projecting your extreme hatred for Microsoft onto someone who, while they don't share your fervor, does still hold Microsoft in contempt. You want everyone to be on your level of hate and loathing, and it seems you see anyone who isn't as vitriolic as you as "the enemy". Just because I don't want to murder Gates and Ballmer like you do, doesn't make me a Microsoft bootlicker. There's a huge middle ground there, but like any religious fanatic, you're blind to it.
So, in closing: Fuck Microsoft, but fuck you even more, asshole.