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Microsoft Pays University $250K To Use Office 365
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."
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?"
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)?
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.
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.