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Microsoft Pays University $250K To Use Office 365

Posted by samzenpus on from the use-our-product-please dept.

BogenDorpher writes "Microsoft has offered to give the University of Nebraska $250,000 dollars to make the switch from IBM Lotus Notes to Office 365, which they say offers newer technology, greater flexibility, and operational savings. Microsoft did this in hopes that the University would not make the transition over to Google Apps."

5 of 219 comments (clear)

  1. Gracious Outrage by improfane · · Score: 4, Funny

    At first I was outraged that Microsoft "discounted" (read: bribed) the uiversity to switch but then I realised that the students are probably grateful because

      Lotus Notes is a horrible horrible piece of software. Microsoft might be evil but Lotus Notes is the scourge. I would happily endure a Windows only hell over a life of Lotus Notes.

    IBM probably did this to the university to begin with, no system administrator would use Lotus Notes willingly.

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    Slashdot needs Geekcode | Can anyone recommend any good SCIFI? My tastes: Foundation, Startide Rising, CITY, Ringworld,
  2. It went a little something like this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    University of Nebraska: "I don't care what the benefits are. You'd have to pay me to use Microsoft's Office 365."
    Microsoft: [Takes out a checkbook.] "How much are we talking about?"

  3. Re:Want Failure? To the cloud! by Ferzerp · · Score: 5, Informative

    No. RTFA. They discounted conversion services by $250k. The school is still paying for the product. This is commonplace in the industry.

    "Sure, we want to swap from x to your product y, but it will cost us too much to transition"

    "How can we help out so that we get a revenue stream from your subscription/maintenance (that still makes us money in the long run)?"

    Who needs accuracy (though the linked story had the same inaccurate headline)?

  4. Re:Steve Ballmer.. by Elbereth · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ballmer offers incentives. Gates dictated. I'll take Ballmer over Gates any day, because you can at least turn down Ballmer's incentives. If you stood up to Gates, you were destroyed.

    I would contrast Sculley and Jobs in a similar manner, though not nearly so strong.

  5. Article is a lie. by RightSaidFred99 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Unless my alarm company is also "paying me $300" by installing my monitoring equipment for free and 3 months of free service so I will then pay them a monthly, 2 year contract guaranteed amount of $30.

    The University is paying for the service, but getting free services and a discount. Article makes it sound like Microsoft is paying them to use Office 365, which is untrue.