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Microsoft Responds to DOT Ban on Vista, Office, IE
roscoetoon writes "From the blog of Mary Jo Foley: What's Microsoft's response to the DOT's charges? A corporate spokeswoman sent this statement, via e-mail: (caution: microbrain double-speak ahead) ... "We respect the customer's decision. As with any of our other Federal customers, it's our job to help DOT maximize the value of its Enterprise Agreement through the adoption of our technology. We are engaged with large, strategic customers across government at every level, and are working closely with them on these products through their participation in our Technical Adoption Programs.""
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
That's pr speak for we are going to Congress and MAKE you buy it little man!
If you don't like what I write don't be a CS and mod it down. Refute it.
Yea I can't spell. So what is your point?
FTFA: "Windows Vista, Office 2007, and IE7 are widely recognized by independent analysts to offer dramatic improvements in security, management features, new collaboration capabilities and productivity enhancements. Ultimately we think we can help DOT understand how these products can help its enterprise organization.
Q: When did MS start using truly independent analysts? Would that part of the statement be necessary if they had no reputation for using paid shills?
FTFA: "As DOT goes through the natural process of exploring the new capabilities of these products we expect they will continue to embrace Windows and Office as the departmental standard of DOT.
Q: Doesn't she mean that "they will eventually be forced to once again drink the koolaid?"
FTFA: "Overall our government customers are excited about the technology as well as our product pipeline.
Q: Does anyone else remember that old Chinese curse? "May your life be exciting!"
FTFA: Just last week more than 500 Public Sector CIOs from across the country joined us for our annual US Public Sector CIO Summit.
- 500 guests for free food and drink and hopefully cheaper software != 500 new customers.
FTFA: The Summit offered these CIOs to see firsthand how Microsoft is working to be a strategic partner to government and educational institutions of every size."
- They obviously didn't spend much time on all the govt. agencies, schools, even countries that are not interested in using MS products anymore. A sales pitch is a sales pitch. I hope they got some good swag!
Support NYCountryLawyer RIAA vs People
We got their money because they're on a subscription. So we really dont care what they do. Random PR speak about how great our stuff is anyways.
The Doormat
If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention.
Um, Mrs. Foley? Bingo, ma'am.
with apologies to Scott Adams
Actually for anyone who's actually tried Vista and Office 2k7 it is clear that there are massive improvements in security, stability, and most importantly ease of use. I haven't shut down my Vista box since I installed it almost 2 months ago and it's still snappy even on a Pentium M with 1GB of RAM. What's more important is that the intuitive interface and time saving features such as searching and sorting significantly decrease the time spent mucking around with the OS and leave you to do your work. As such Vista would have a huge impact in increasing productivity not only through its stability but through the amount someone can get done with it relative to XP, its only real competition. Further, Office 2k7 has similar improvements which allow you to get more things done quicker. Instead of digging blindly through cascading menus the things you need most are there on the ribbon when you need them. The instant preview feature means less guesswork when applying formatting. There are scores of other usability improvements that in total allow me to save a significant amount of time. As a bonus it loads and runs much quicker than OO.o ever did on the same box in Ubuntu. Those are simple facts. Those people claiming Vista and Office 2k7 are somehow not ready for the big time are sadly mistaken and perhaps shouldn't be in charge of making decisions when their decisions will amount to their companies and governments missing the opportunity to dramatically increase their productivity.
*The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best - and therefore never scrutinize or question.*
We were just talking about Lice and their hosts...
We are Microsoft. Lower your Firewalls and surrender your systems. We will add your cultural and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your IT departments will adapt to service us.
Resistance is futile.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Heck, even Intel, whom Microsoft laudes as a partner in embracing Vista has publicly stated that they, as a corporation, will not even install Vista on their computers until after SP1 is released... So now you have a technology partner publicly stating they wont be so quick to upgrade either... http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/07/intel_wati ng_to_go_vista/
In the old days I saw some edited command.com files.
'Abortion, Retch, or Vomit?'
'AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGHHH!!'
Federal agencies are typically slow to pick up on new versions of Office and Windows. Currently, the US Air Force has a moratorium on IE7 and has since it came out citing security issues. Neither Vista nor Office 2k7 are approved for use on Air Force networks...yet. They have to be certified to be safe and secure to use on unclassified and classified networks. This is normal. Eventually, and unfortunately in my opinion, the moratorium will be lifted and approval will be given. It's more of a question of when, rather than if.
Remember the reason the DOT doesn't want to upgrade is because it needs ie6 compatibility for its websites. So because ie7 is better towards standards they won't use it. And the reasons that Office and Vista are lumped in there is because they upgrade to ie7. Frankly I wish the websites were better so the DOT had the option of upgrading to a better version of windows, or even the possibility of changing to another operating system.
In other words, DOT is already paying for Vista, even if they're not using it. Remember how Microsoft enterprise-level "software assurance" works. You pay by the year, upgrade or not.
In Soviet Russia Enterprise Agreement maximize the value of tap on you.
8:44 A.M. A full scale corporate invasion by foreign applications begins. Total surprise. Almost total success. A gang of PR suits become the last line of defense.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
...I had to be certain I was not reading the subject of the previous Slashdot story, "The Coevolution of Lice & Their Hosts."
Those who can, do. Those who can't, write technology blogs.
How can they say things like this with a straight face? Saying they "respect the customer's decision" then following it up by saying it's their job to foist Windows on them regardless? Where's the respect in that? Whatever else this statement may mean, it disrespects the intelligence of any reader.
Are we actively trying to appear childish now?
The place for commentary is down here with us unwashed masses, in the comments, where it can be moderated and replied to properly. It's bad enough that the editors do it, can we at least avoid submitors doing it please?
It's official. Most of you are morons.
Hey now, that's not very nice to those of us in the Seattle area that don't pray to Lord Gates and Lord Ballmer. . . I find it amusing that about half the billboards I see have Microsoft ads on them. The number has increased since Vista's launch, but even the Zune billboards are everywhere. Even in their home court, Microsoft is playing Defence in this quarter.
/. today, I'll prolly burn in karma hell for this, but oh well. . .
Since the modding is definatley pro-MS on
"He may be mad, but there's method in his madness. [...] It's what drives men mad, being methodical." G.K.Chesterton
Don't cringe, LiveWire. Stand Proud! Made-in-Seattle Astroturf *is* the best money can buy. :-) It can selling anything. You could wrap something small and brown that fits in the palm of your hand and eventually it'll sell in droves. (I'm not sure if I am thinking of the Zune or something else small and brown... ;-)
/. today
> billboards are everywhere. Even in their home court, Microsoft is playing Defence in this quarter.
I don't understand why. Microsoft could stick up billboards calling me all sorts of nasty names and my next laptop will be Vista anyway. Maybe they think a hundred Seattle-based corporate buyers are going to arrive at work and mistakenly order Linux? "Sorry Boss, I didn't see any billboards this morning so I forgot the name of Microsoft's Flagship Product". If any Yes-men are reading this give Bill a good shoulder rub and remind him he won. Billboards for Microsoft are like Billboards for the Chinese Communist Party. "Who do you want to vote for today?"
> Since the modding is definatley pro-MS on
Even the devil deserves an easy day now and then.
"We respect the customer's decision.
Bullshit! When we tried to switch from Windows to Linux MS lobbied Congress to prevent us from switching. We received a nasty-gram from Congress to cease and desist.
As with any of our other Federal customers, it's our job to help DOT maximize the value of its Enterprise Agreement through the adoption of our technology.
Read: If you won't buy our products, we'll grease the palms of Congress and make them force you to buy our products.
We are engaged with large, strategic customers across government at every level, and are working closely with them on these products through their participation in our Technical Adoption Programs.
Read: We have our heads so far up Congress's ass all we have to do is sneeze and our paid for representatives catch a cold.
Am I bitter? Yes, I hate to see where Americans tax dollars go and how little they get from the waste I see on a daily basis.
I work for an agency under DoD. Vista, OFfice 2007 and IE7 are also verboten here.
Government geels in decisiomaking capacity don't get into beta programs and it's easier to ban a software package than learn how to support it.
we see things not as as they are, but as we are.
-- anais nin
The "Linux Discount Tactic" works because Linux is (like it or not) a credible and possible alternative to Windows. A Linux switchover doesn't necessarily have to be cheap or easy or even make everybody ecstatically happy when it is done. It simply has to be possible to get work done. If sufficient effort didn't make a Linux deployment possible then MS wouldn't take it seriously when customers announce a switch.
MS really doesn't dare call such a bluff. The reverse is also true: Don't threaten MS with a Linux switch unless you're prepared to follow through with it.
We have a total ban on those same products here. And we are a fortune 10 company.
As for home use, I looked at the upgrade path. I ran the checkout program provided by Microsoft. It tells me: Both printers not supported, both scanners not supported, my external hard drive (160GB) not supported, and elements of my LAN not supported.
In follow up, I have tracked down that for 1 scanner and both printers, the vender (HP) has ALREADY declared they will NOT be releasing updated drivers. The other scanner, I have to upgrade the software for (Nikon). The other items I have no word on yet.
Also, I have a Laptop with 2GB of memory and that isn't enough to run Vista well? WTF? And looking at the new feature list from MS. I don't want them wasting all that memory on the file search process. Nor do I want the DRM, so what exactly is Vista giving me besides grief?