__/ [ peterwn ] on Friday 09 February 2007 01:29 \__
> On Feb 9, 8:11 am, Doug Mentohl <doug_ment...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> "The European Commission has resisted efforts by Microsoft to make it
>> abandon its report into open source software, it was revealed this week"
>>
>> "The software giant also commissioned a respected university academic to
>> back its case and enlisted the help of a trade association, CompTIA.
>>
>> http://software.silicon.com/applications/0,39024653,39165722,00.htm
>>
>> "the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), but its biggest
>> software industry backer is Microsoft"
>>
>> http://news.com.com/2100-1001-949635.html?tag=fd_top
>
> What must be very frustrating to Microsoft is that there are many
> 'channels' it cannot exercise influence over. The best it can do is
> to recruit a chorus of shills to try and infiltrate these channels.
> Also having its PR attempts and consultants' 'studies' heavily
> criticised around the world.
>
> It must be galling to Microsoft that many teachers in the world will
> be aware of this Russian principal's plight and will sympathise with
> him - this so easily changes peoples' perception of a company. It is
> apparent for example that Blackboard has had to do some backing down
> to try and stave off a revolt of academics following its attempt to
> shut down a rival. So it goes on.
It is not the first time that they do it. To quote a previous message of
mine:
European Commission denies favouring open source
,----[ Quote ]
| The Commission's statement comes just days after it was lobbied to
| clarify its position on open source. The Initiative for Software
| Choice (ISC) wrote to the Commission immediately after the
| release of the report urging it to contact the "international
| press" to "set the record straight" over its stance. The ISC's
| external affairs are handled by CompTIA, which is funded by
| several IT vendors including Microsoft.
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
`----
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/30012007/152/european-commission-denies-favouring-open-source.html
Last week, the convicted monopoly abuser, through this proxy (they have
several around the world), attacked the credibility of the EC. This is not
the first time attempts are made by Microsoft to hurt the EC (see refs).
This is also happening in Asia. They call these bodies "software neutrality"
or "software choice", but these are actually intended to lobby against Open
Source (or any risk to their funders). BSA is a similar example, but it
serves other purposes, like SCO.
Related:
EU official joins consultancy serving Microsoft
http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-10-03T134311Z_01_L03693228_RTRIDST_0_TECH-MICROSOFT-OFFICIAL.XML&rpc=66&type=qcna
http://tinyurl.com/h47g3
US ambassador to the EU was former Microsoft lobbyist
,----[ Quote ]
| Before C. Boyden Gray was named as George Bush's number one person in
| Europe, he was a lawyer lobbying on behalf of Microsoft.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34706
US politicians go to bat for Microsoft
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/26/microsoft_eu_political_lobbying/
EU's Kroes denies vendetta against Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU antitrust chief Neelie Kroes on Tuesday rejected
| an accusation she was pursuing a vendetta against U.S. software giant
| Microsoft Corp. and suspected a "coordinated campaign" to discredit
| her agency.
|
| [...]
|
| Kroes was responding to a letter published by the newspaper from a
| Microsoft business partner who accused the EU Commission of "playing
| games" with Microsoft by raising concerns over its Vista operating
| system that could delay its launch in Europe.
|
| "There appears to be a coordinated campaign to portray the Commission
| in a negative light," she said...
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/060919/microsoft_eu.html?.v=3
Microsoft Hard-Balling EU Over Vista
,----[ Quote ]
| "This is part of the negotiating strategy," a person familiar with the
| situation told internetnews.com. "They're in a public relations battle."
|
| Microsoft made the same threat to South Korean regulators, but did not
| follow through when they lost that battle.
`----
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3631041
Vista launch to add 100,000 Europe IT jobs: study
,----[ Quote ]
| The study, conducted by research firm IDC and commissioned by Microsoft,
| said Windows Vista will be installed on over 30 million personal computers
| in Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and United Kingdom within the
| first year of shipment.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060914/tc_nm/microsoft_study_dc
IDC pronounces Linux unimportant to European economy
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34542
I will happily quote examples where the play the same tricks is Asia, namely
using some lobbyists (bodies they fund) to bury anything which favours Open
Source (not just for the sake of it, simply because it's better for the
economy). Actually, let me fetch another old message... one which shows
lobbying in India, Thailand, and the Phillipines:
Maylasia Open Source Software Alliance Releases Position Statement
,----[ Quote ]
| In a sign that the battle for the hearts and minds of both government
| and business clients is hotting up in Malaysia, the Malaysia Open
| Source Software Alliance has released and Open Statement on
| "Software Nuetrality and Openness".
`----
http://www.localfoss.org/MOSSA_Releases_Open_Statement
This is about Microsoft's anti-Linux and anti-Open Source lobbying in Asia.
See below.
OS Backers Prod Malaysian Government to Level Playing Field
,----[ Quote ]
| The Malaysian government's adoption of a neutral technology
| platform policy must ensure that a more level playing field
| is established, which benefits the consumers in terms of
| quality of service received and long-term gains, according
| to the newly established Malaysian Open Source Software Alliance (MOSSA).
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
`----
http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/54735.html
BSA all for tech neutrality
,----[ Quote ]
| "On the other hand, even with Microsoft Corp's money and marketing
| muscle behind it, Microsoft Money did not take off as a product andw
| as unable to unseat Intuit's Quicken."
`----
http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2006/12/14/technology/20061214005009&sec=technology
FOSS Bill Listed For First Public Hearing
,----[ Quote ]
| Listed for November 15th, the hearing by The Committee on Information and
| Communications Technology has invited comment from various stakeholders
| potentially affected by the bill, including community representatives as
| well as industry giants Microsoft and Oracle.
`---- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://www.localfoss.org/Philippino_FOSS_Bill_Public_Hearing
Report: The Business of Free Software
,----[ Quote ]
| In his Nov. 21 column, Conrado Banal said I did not really author the
| bill "Free/Open Source Act of 2006" now pending in Congress. And
| quoting the Business Software Alliance (BSA), he also derided the
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| bill as a "prime model of confusion."
|
| Let me assure him that I authored the bill. My office worked on it for
| four months. It started with a suggestion from FOSS (free/open
| source software) advocates in the Computer Professionals Union
| (CPU). Modeled after the Brazil and Peru FOSS policies, it is the
| result of inputs from various geeks, techies and FOSS
| practitioners--from my two staff who happen to be competent IT
| professionals, IT lawyers in the UP College of Law, members of
| the Philippine Linux Users Group (PLUG), GNU/Linux guru and
| prime advocate Richard Stallman of the MIT-based Free Software
| Foundation, who personally e-mailed his very valuable comments.
| It also contains inputs from the government?s Commission on
| Information and Communications Technology and the International
| Open Source Network of the UNDP.
`----
http://business.inq7.net/money/topstories/view_article.php?article_id=36605
Here it is from a better source
,----[ Quote ]
| About the meeting with Microsoft, he mentioned that he got a request from
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula, deputy prime minister. [Note: It seems
| likely that the early meeting with Microsoft was about going to see
| the operation of British e-government.) Dr.Sitthichai said he will
| use his own money and contact British government directly instead.
|
| For the OLPC project, he asserted that he does not oppose or intend
| cancel the project. This project was initiated during Thaksin's
| government with no financial support plan. Therefore, the government
| does not have budget to support the project. Kamthorn had a chance
| to clarify and talk about the project for a little while. The
| minister said he will bring that up for the next meeting with
| OLPC working group which Dr.Djitt Laowattana serves as a board
| director.
`----
http://www.iosn.net/asean-3/countries/thailand/news/thai-open-sourcers-meet-ict-minister
Indian state takes on Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| He said Microsoft executives were seeking to meet the state's chief
| minister this week. Kerala state is a potentially strong market for
| the company, with a population of 32 million and a 90.9% literacy
| rate - far above the national average of 68.4%.
`----
http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/companies/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&lvl2=comp&ArticleID=1518-1783_2045929
IT Giants Train Students And Faculty of Kerala
,----[ Quote ]
| This program allows universities and colleges to get latest
| Microsoft software available in labs, classrooms, and on student PCs.
| MSDN AA is an annual membership program.The membership allows an
| enrolled student to take home the complete microsoft products,except
| products for office productivity.
|
| Also Microsoft has offered to asist the universities to customise
| their carriculam and claims that the Microsoft range of products
| are suitable for CS and IT syllabus of Indian universities.Also
| Microsoft has started .Net user groups in cities like Cochin.
| Also Microsoft is selecting student ambassadors from various
| institutions and conducting programming contests.
`----
http://kerala4u.in/98/it_giants_train_students_and_faculty
--
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