[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Author Index][Thread Index]

Re: [school-discuss] MS Schools Agreement anti-competitive UK



On Tue, 2003-05-06 at 22:54, Paul Tietjens wrote:
> Private industry seems to have no problem understanding that they have a 
> choice, and district I work for understands it.
> They have a choice, and it's real, and it's easily discovered, if they but 
> took the to time to look (like... pick up a newspaper or a trade magazine 
> once in a while).  I would suggest that the blame for what they understand 
> does not lay with the company they feel is the only choice.

To a point yes, but,

When Microsoft as a marketing business (and supplier) go into schools and LEAs do they explain that there is a choice?
Not in my experience. The Microsoft Schools Agreement reveals this.

OK, i too feel that educational decision makers should get educated and assess everything that is available to them but this is not the case. The UK government should indeed take the lead and investigate this issue. Marketing does seem to be a real clinch pin here. Isn't this why MS were on trial for unfair marketing strategies?
Through this current strategy MS are simply making it harder for other
companies such as Ian's to give schools an informed choice.
This is why I still believe the MS Schools agreement to be
anti-competitive and unfair.

steve