So Microsoft is feeling the heat from Google Apps.
Must be the case if Monkey Boy’s Microsofties have decided to go for an all out attack on the Gnomes of Mountain View.
Microsoft recently released a video telling Monkey Boy truths about Google Apps.
Now while I don’t necessarily believe that Google Apps is the greatest thing since Cuban Cigars and Premium Vodka, its not a bad product and it has a pretty good price point story to tell.
The truth is that Office 365 is very expensive, especially in Australia.
Now a friend of mine showed me a couple of emails relating to Office 365 discussions he had with Telstra before he told them to get a grip on reality.
The first, and biggest question was based around the variation in cost between most of the world and Australia. Across the planet the cost, predominantly, equates to USD$24 per user per month, for the plan he was looking at, in Australia its AUD$40.10 per user per month for the same plan.
As I write this the exchange rate is hovering around USD$1=AUD$1.06.
This means that it should be costing around AUD$22.64 per user per month. Its a cloud service, no boxes to move, distributors to take a cut, product to feeight into the country, DVD’s to produce, packaging to manufacture and so on so where’s the price differential?
I mean the data centre that runs Office 365 for Australia is in Singapore and is the same one that is used in Singapore where the cost is $24 per user per month and in the absence of anything else it looks like its priced in the local currency.
So what was the explanation from Telstra for the price variation?
As to pricing differences between AU and US, It is a common practice by all multinationals to have price discrimination based on Geography. If you compare the prices of Petrol, iPods, TVs Big Macs, there is a price discrepancy based on the purchasing power of that that country.
We still believe that purchasing Microsoft Online Services will be more cost effective than on premise software. But also consider this, the Australian currency is the 4th most traded currency. Between July and October 2008 our currency fell from 97c to 61c.
Hmmmmmm…..
So the strongest argument Telstra had was that ‘all multinationals to have price discrimination based on Geography’, unless you live in Singapore, in Russia the price converts to USD$30 per user per month, and that three and a half years ago the Australian dollar fell from 97c to 61c.
Sorry but that’s ancient history.
Here’s the thing AUD$40.10 converts to USD$42.75. So if we use USD$25 per user per month as a base price someone in Australia is levying a massive tax on all Australian businesses to use a product that supposed to help reduce costs.
Lets do the math.
A business of 100 staff in the US will pay $2500 per month or $30000 per year to use the cloud based Office 365.
A business in Australia with 100 staff will pay $4010 per month or $48120 per year to use the same product running on a data centre ‘out there somewhere’.
Convert the annual US price to Australian dollars at todays exchange rate and the price becomes $28122 per year.
So it costs an Australian company $19998.00 per year more to use Office 365 in Australia than it does in the United States for an equivalent number of users.
No wonder Microsoft is taking aim at Google Apps.
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Ballmer Disses Andoird
So Steve Ballmer thinks that Android is cheap and complex.
Lets cast our minds back a few years when Ballmer gave us his opinion on the iPhone.
So now Ballmer is telling us that Android is no good. Based on his other prognostications I guess that Android’s going to go like gangbusters at the expense of Microsoft.
I seem to remember Ballmer telling us that the Kin - remember that one? - was going to set the world alight. By the time of its merciful death it is rumoured to have sold less than 10000 units. What was left are supposed to have been buried in an unmarked mass grave somewhere.
Then there was the rumoured Zune phone, that Ballmer dismissed as impossible and against the company’s mobile product philosophy.
Its starting to look like you could do worse than betting against Monkey Boy and his tech pronouncements.
Lets cast our minds back a few years when Ballmer gave us his opinion on the iPhone.
So now Ballmer is telling us that Android is no good. Based on his other prognostications I guess that Android’s going to go like gangbusters at the expense of Microsoft.
I seem to remember Ballmer telling us that the Kin - remember that one? - was going to set the world alight. By the time of its merciful death it is rumoured to have sold less than 10000 units. What was left are supposed to have been buried in an unmarked mass grave somewhere.
Then there was the rumoured Zune phone, that Ballmer dismissed as impossible and against the company’s mobile product philosophy.
Its starting to look like you could do worse than betting against Monkey Boy and his tech pronouncements.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Nokia thinks WinMoPho's are great. Imagine my surprise...
During a break on a big project I’m working on I was catching up on some reading.
I ran across this piece on the Boy Genius Report - Nokia’s Jo Harlow: Windows Phone is ‘easier, faster and a hell of a lot more fun’
Imagine my surprise!
Nokia’s product boss says something like this about the product that Nokia has bet the farm on.
I’m sure if Jo worked for a company that sold bovine manure there would be some way to tell us that their bovine manure is a hell of a lot more fun that the oppositions bovine manure.
Given Nokia haven’t sold a single unit yet and Microsoft’s share of the mobile market is so small that it would represent a massive reduction of Nokia’s already shrinking market share you’d have to hope everything Jo Harlow is saying is true otherwise the bovine manure manufacturing sector may start looking good.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Happy Birthday Windows XP - Your Daddy wants to kill you now!
So Windows XP turns 10 soon and Microsoft develops a case or corporate dementia. Conveniently forgetting the total clusterfuck that was Vista. By the way that was launched in 2007.
The good thing is that they want us all to start planning our move to Office 2010 and Windows 7 now because extended support for XP and Office 2003 winds up in 2014.
2014!!
By then they should have the 3rd service pack out for Windows 8 and, assuming it isn’t a screw up of Vista proportions they’ll be trumpeting Windows 9 or whatever they’ll end up calling it.
The problem for Microsoft is that Windows XP was good. Actually it was very good. Who the hell needs to upgrade except to keep the wheels of Microsoft greased with cash that Ballmer can spend on buying Yahoo or Skype or whatever.
Now that they’ve announce Windows 8 anyone who was thinking of moving to Windows 7 has a reason to delay further. I mean if Windows 8 comes out in 2012 then corporates have until 2014 to migrate from XP and save themselves the cost of the intermediate upgrade.
This doesn’t sit well with Microsoft so expect the migrate to Windows 7 output from Microsoft to be cranked up to maximum.
Ignore it and keep your money in your pocket and wait for Windows 8, I mean it can’t be as bad as Vista…can it?
The good thing is that they want us all to start planning our move to Office 2010 and Windows 7 now because extended support for XP and Office 2003 winds up in 2014.
2014!!
By then they should have the 3rd service pack out for Windows 8 and, assuming it isn’t a screw up of Vista proportions they’ll be trumpeting Windows 9 or whatever they’ll end up calling it.
The problem for Microsoft is that Windows XP was good. Actually it was very good. Who the hell needs to upgrade except to keep the wheels of Microsoft greased with cash that Ballmer can spend on buying Yahoo or Skype or whatever.
Now that they’ve announce Windows 8 anyone who was thinking of moving to Windows 7 has a reason to delay further. I mean if Windows 8 comes out in 2012 then corporates have until 2014 to migrate from XP and save themselves the cost of the intermediate upgrade.
This doesn’t sit well with Microsoft so expect the migrate to Windows 7 output from Microsoft to be cranked up to maximum.
Ignore it and keep your money in your pocket and wait for Windows 8, I mean it can’t be as bad as Vista…can it?
Friday, September 30, 2011
Lets play Whack-a-Mole with location services
Time to take a bat to Microsoft. Ever since Balmer became the head honcho there the number of missteps made by this company have been breathtaking.
I noticed this article on BGR the other day - Developer says Microsoft lied to government about Windows Phone location tracking
The latest is their claim to the U.S House of Representatives that WinMoPho doesn’t:
“collect information to determine the approximate location of a device unless a user has expressly allowed an application to collect location information” and that “Microsoft only collects information to help determine a phone’s approximate location if (a) the user has allowed an application to access and use location data, and (b) that application actually requests the location data”.
Turns out some WinMoPho developer who initially believed that Microsoft does no wrong discovered that WinMoPho actually does rat you out to Redmond without your permission. He was able to isolate the data traffic between his handset and Microsoft servers and this was before he gave his permission to his WinMoPho to collect and send that data.
Ooops...
After Apple and Google having this sort of infantile upchuck fall in their laps you’d think that Microsoft would have seen it coming. They didn’t because, like everyone else, they see torrents of cash coming from location based advertising and providing geolocation data to advertisers.
Sadly their execution was about as hamfisted as we’ve come to expect.
I noticed this article on BGR the other day - Developer says Microsoft lied to government about Windows Phone location tracking
The latest is their claim to the U.S House of Representatives that WinMoPho doesn’t:
“collect information to determine the approximate location of a device unless a user has expressly allowed an application to collect location information” and that “Microsoft only collects information to help determine a phone’s approximate location if (a) the user has allowed an application to access and use location data, and (b) that application actually requests the location data”.
Turns out some WinMoPho developer who initially believed that Microsoft does no wrong discovered that WinMoPho actually does rat you out to Redmond without your permission. He was able to isolate the data traffic between his handset and Microsoft servers and this was before he gave his permission to his WinMoPho to collect and send that data.
Ooops...
After Apple and Google having this sort of infantile upchuck fall in their laps you’d think that Microsoft would have seen it coming. They didn’t because, like everyone else, they see torrents of cash coming from location based advertising and providing geolocation data to advertisers.
Sadly their execution was about as hamfisted as we’ve come to expect.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Ribbons are for Knots
The first Windows 8 Beta is due any time now and its going to expand the use of ribbons along with the magical tiles.
The ribbon looks like it going to infect Windows Explorer based on telemetry data collected from users.
The only thing that the geniuses of Redmond have forgotten is the only people that let Windows send telemetry back to the hive mind are the non-power users who don’t find the ribbon a pain and don’t use the more complex functions available in the OS.
Most power users break the connection to the Redmond hive the first chance they get. So even though the telemetry tells them what people want, maybe they’re listening to the wrong kind of people?
Windows 8 ribbon entangles Microsoft
On the upside they do say that they’re going to fix the download time estimates so they are a closer reflection of reality - I suppose this gives Microsoft a lot of latitude because they could make it just wildly inaccurate and it would be an improvement on the galactically idiotic estimates it currently gives.
Microsoft unveils file-move changes in Windows 8
There’s potential in Windows 8, but, there’s also that sense of quiet desperation.
If they don’t smack this one out of the park, I think Microsoft may have a real problem on their hands.
The ribbon looks like it going to infect Windows Explorer based on telemetry data collected from users.
The only thing that the geniuses of Redmond have forgotten is the only people that let Windows send telemetry back to the hive mind are the non-power users who don’t find the ribbon a pain and don’t use the more complex functions available in the OS.
Most power users break the connection to the Redmond hive the first chance they get. So even though the telemetry tells them what people want, maybe they’re listening to the wrong kind of people?
Windows 8 ribbon entangles Microsoft
On the upside they do say that they’re going to fix the download time estimates so they are a closer reflection of reality - I suppose this gives Microsoft a lot of latitude because they could make it just wildly inaccurate and it would be an improvement on the galactically idiotic estimates it currently gives.
Microsoft unveils file-move changes in Windows 8
There’s potential in Windows 8, but, there’s also that sense of quiet desperation.
If they don’t smack this one out of the park, I think Microsoft may have a real problem on their hands.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Happy Birthday to Tux
So Linux turned 20 the other week.
A lot of people would say ‘so what’, but, Tux is the little penguin that could.
Look in just about any data centre and you’ll find it there, running some device or another. Quietly just chugging away doing its job without any fanfare and without any of the attendent ‘fuss and bother’ that goes with Windows infrastructures.
I guess that’s the problem.
Linux is so competent at what it does in the data centre that no one really pays any attention to it.
It’s kind of like walking into a noisy bar full of loud-mouthed wannabes telling everyone how good they are, how they can do it better than everyone else and how they’re the best and biggest in the world and over in the corner having a quiet drink is a 10th Dan Black Belt.
He doesn’t need to tell anyone anything - he KNOWS he’s the best in the room. The thing is everyone else knows it too, they just can’t let anyone else know that so they beat their chests even louder like a troupe of highland gorillas - or monkeys bouncing around on a stage.
I know that Linux hasn’t made huge inroads onto the desktop, but, its there, having carved out little niches and happily owning that space.
When you’re watching Happy Feet 2 in Novemburr just remember the little penguin that could had a lot to do with bringing those little penguins to the screen.
A lot of people would say ‘so what’, but, Tux is the little penguin that could.
Look in just about any data centre and you’ll find it there, running some device or another. Quietly just chugging away doing its job without any fanfare and without any of the attendent ‘fuss and bother’ that goes with Windows infrastructures.
I guess that’s the problem.
Linux is so competent at what it does in the data centre that no one really pays any attention to it.
It’s kind of like walking into a noisy bar full of loud-mouthed wannabes telling everyone how good they are, how they can do it better than everyone else and how they’re the best and biggest in the world and over in the corner having a quiet drink is a 10th Dan Black Belt.
He doesn’t need to tell anyone anything - he KNOWS he’s the best in the room. The thing is everyone else knows it too, they just can’t let anyone else know that so they beat their chests even louder like a troupe of highland gorillas - or monkeys bouncing around on a stage.
I know that Linux hasn’t made huge inroads onto the desktop, but, its there, having carved out little niches and happily owning that space.
When you’re watching Happy Feet 2 in Novemburr just remember the little penguin that could had a lot to do with bringing those little penguins to the screen.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Random Thoughts II
The PC is Dead! IBM says so.
I’ve been wondering, now that the tablet has become a mainstay in computing what’s the future for the PC as we know it?
IBM’s CTO says the PC has seen it day.
I wonder of this is really the case though? Will people really want to walk away from the box on the desk?
I’m not so sure this will come to pass as easily as some people might think.
Will Samsung buy webOS from HP.
This is an interesting rumour. Samsung are obviously not happy about the creation of Googorola. Add the lawsuits that are coming at them from Apple that have effectively halted sales of the Galaxy S II and the Galaxy Tab in different parts of the world - this may not be so far fetched.
Samsung said to be considering webOS acquisition from HP
Its not out of the realms of possibility.
A Torch, a torch, my kingdom for a torch!
Lately I’ve noticed a bit of a furore (tizz in a teacup really) about the fact that the latest version of the WinMoPho operating system, Mango, doesn’t have a native API to turn on the LED to use as a torch.
No real LED torch apps for Windows Phone 7 Mango
I dunno, it strikes me as a bit absurd that with everything else out there that may be interesting to talk about, the lack of an ability to turn your phone into a torch rates, nay demands, column inches.
White Light: Brings a LED Flashlight to non-HTC users running Mango
I never thought not being able to turn a complex piece of communications technology into an axe simple tool would cause such consternation.
Nokia makes Minority Report a sort of Reality
NFC technology scares me. Its not the tech so much, rather its the lack of consideration of the practical implications.
In the rush to be the first to bring NFC to market to grab “mindshare” security invariably gets overlooked.
Nokia: "From now on, all our products will have an NFC chip inside"
There’s lots of evidence that RFID chips can be skimmed from a distance. NFC chips are really just low power RFID chips that Nokia are so considerately putting into all of their doodads.
Makes feel feel all nice and safe knowing that Nokia, the company that so spectacularly gave away the mobile phone market due to blind arrogance has decided that they’re on top of all of this NFC/RFID security stuff.
I’ve been wondering, now that the tablet has become a mainstay in computing what’s the future for the PC as we know it?
IBM’s CTO says the PC has seen it day.
I wonder of this is really the case though? Will people really want to walk away from the box on the desk?
I’m not so sure this will come to pass as easily as some people might think.
Will Samsung buy webOS from HP.
This is an interesting rumour. Samsung are obviously not happy about the creation of Googorola. Add the lawsuits that are coming at them from Apple that have effectively halted sales of the Galaxy S II and the Galaxy Tab in different parts of the world - this may not be so far fetched.
Samsung said to be considering webOS acquisition from HP
Its not out of the realms of possibility.
A Torch, a torch, my kingdom for a torch!
Lately I’ve noticed a bit of a furore (tizz in a teacup really) about the fact that the latest version of the WinMoPho operating system, Mango, doesn’t have a native API to turn on the LED to use as a torch.
No real LED torch apps for Windows Phone 7 Mango
I dunno, it strikes me as a bit absurd that with everything else out there that may be interesting to talk about, the lack of an ability to turn your phone into a torch rates, nay demands, column inches.
White Light: Brings a LED Flashlight to non-HTC users running Mango
I never thought not being able to turn a complex piece of communications technology into an axe simple tool would cause such consternation.
Nokia makes Minority Report a sort of Reality
NFC technology scares me. Its not the tech so much, rather its the lack of consideration of the practical implications.
In the rush to be the first to bring NFC to market to grab “mindshare” security invariably gets overlooked.
Nokia: "From now on, all our products will have an NFC chip inside"
There’s lots of evidence that RFID chips can be skimmed from a distance. NFC chips are really just low power RFID chips that Nokia are so considerately putting into all of their doodads.
Makes feel feel all nice and safe knowing that Nokia, the company that so spectacularly gave away the mobile phone market due to blind arrogance has decided that they’re on top of all of this NFC/RFID security stuff.
Friday, September 2, 2011
The best Tech Industry Analyst on the Planet.
Each morning people look to their inbox to read the latest piece of financial prognostication from the merchant bank employed augury.
With bated breath they wait to see what pearls of wisdom they’ve gleaned from reading the entrails of some dead animal, or the patterns of the clouds, flights of birds or even the alignment of the planets.
The readers of these inarticulate Nostradamus like ravings then trade their hard earned on the basis of these obscure prophecies. They also pay good money to get these ‘briefings’.
I’ve met the best Tech Industry Analyst on the planet. My 5 year old.
The other day I was in JB Hi-Fiand something struck me.
As I was walking through the computers I noticed that all the kids (and a lot of the adults) were happily playing with the iPads, iMacs and MacBooks. Most of the people in the store were also rocking an iPhone.
The Windows machines - and there were a lot of them (mostly from Dell) didn’t have a soul fiddling with them. JB Hi-Fi (at least at this store) were giving over about 20 meters of shelf space to these machines and I wasn’t seeing anyone show any interest.
In fact they had an Alienware laptop on display. I mean this is a rockstar of a gaming laptop with horsepower to spare, glowing lights, backlit keyboard, awesome performance and no one was giving it the time of day.
Now I don’t know how much Dell pay JB for the shelf space, if anything, but, I also noticed that JB had all Dell stock marked down. Still no one was buying, or even remotely interested.
Here’s why I’d be worried if I were Microsoft. All the kids, and I mean ALL the kids. Wanted to play with the Apple gear. They were waiting for a turn and I’ve seen this in other places too.
I remember many years back, kids would want to line up and play with Windows machines. Yeah. I know. Somebody’s going to talk about games and gaming. The demo XBox and Playstations weren’t being used either.
The kids wanted to play with the Apple gear. I even heard some kids complaining when their parents wanted to leave the store because they wanted to keep playing with the equipment.
If so many kids want to play with Apple equipment and not Windows - in a few years, when they’re making the buying decisions I think Microsoft will be in a pack of trouble.
They’re losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the next generation of buyers.
With bated breath they wait to see what pearls of wisdom they’ve gleaned from reading the entrails of some dead animal, or the patterns of the clouds, flights of birds or even the alignment of the planets.
The readers of these inarticulate Nostradamus like ravings then trade their hard earned on the basis of these obscure prophecies. They also pay good money to get these ‘briefings’.
I’ve met the best Tech Industry Analyst on the planet. My 5 year old.
The other day I was in JB Hi-Fiand something struck me.
As I was walking through the computers I noticed that all the kids (and a lot of the adults) were happily playing with the iPads, iMacs and MacBooks. Most of the people in the store were also rocking an iPhone.
The Windows machines - and there were a lot of them (mostly from Dell) didn’t have a soul fiddling with them. JB Hi-Fi (at least at this store) were giving over about 20 meters of shelf space to these machines and I wasn’t seeing anyone show any interest.
In fact they had an Alienware laptop on display. I mean this is a rockstar of a gaming laptop with horsepower to spare, glowing lights, backlit keyboard, awesome performance and no one was giving it the time of day.
Now I don’t know how much Dell pay JB for the shelf space, if anything, but, I also noticed that JB had all Dell stock marked down. Still no one was buying, or even remotely interested.
Here’s why I’d be worried if I were Microsoft. All the kids, and I mean ALL the kids. Wanted to play with the Apple gear. They were waiting for a turn and I’ve seen this in other places too.
I remember many years back, kids would want to line up and play with Windows machines. Yeah. I know. Somebody’s going to talk about games and gaming. The demo XBox and Playstations weren’t being used either.
The kids wanted to play with the Apple gear. I even heard some kids complaining when their parents wanted to leave the store because they wanted to keep playing with the equipment.
If so many kids want to play with Apple equipment and not Windows - in a few years, when they’re making the buying decisions I think Microsoft will be in a pack of trouble.
They’re losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the next generation of buyers.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
A Brisbane Board Meeting - Hooray!
The time had finally came. I flew up to Brisbane the day before the Board meeting.
I wanted to prepare. This was going to be an unhappy meeting for someone.
The day came and I got a cab over to their office. It was off Coronation Drive so the morning traffic was a struggle.
I arrived and went in. The Financial Controller was in my face almost from the moment I walked in. She wanted to know what I was going to tell the board.
I said “I’m going to give them my professional opinion on what I think is the best solution for this business”.
She was so arrogantly self-absorbed that she didn’t think for a moment that I might say something that wasn’t in agreement with her agenda.
We walked into the Boardroom and got introduced after a few minutes of pleasantries we sat down and the meeting started. The technology stuff was scheduled for the start so at least I didn’t have long to wait.
The man who started the company, I’ll call him Stavros, turned to me and said “What do you think of our new technology strategy?”
“I think its going to waste a lot of money and it won’t give you anything new or unique.”
The Financial Controller nearly burst her brain.
The Board was surprised.
“Look”, I said, “regardless of what you’ve been told, you will have to spend over $400,000 to execute this strategy and you will have no extra functionality. You’re spending that money just to replace everything with Windows machines. You won’t get anything extra to what you have now. You may have the money to throw at this, but, you can spend $400,000 on computers, or, you can spend $400,000 on something that’ll turn into profit.”
Everyone around the table thought about this for a moment.
The Financial Controller gave me the ‘look of death’. I think I was off her Christmas Card list for good.
She was about to launch into a tirade when she was cut off by Stavros. He asked me if using Windows everywhere was what all businesses did.
“A lot of business do. But its expensive. Let me explain.”
The Board nodded.
“A copy of Windows costs you around $350 for an upgrade. A copy of the Mac Operating System costs you $32.00 for an upgrade. You have about 150 computers and you will have to pay for at least one upgrade in the life of a piece of hardware. The maths is simple About $52,000 for Windows and $4,800 for the Mac OS. You’re putting $48,000 in Microsoft’s pocket for nothing really. The operating system doesn’t do anything except the computer to turn on and be ready to do something.”
Just then the Financial Controller jumped in and said, “But no one uses Mac’s in business except for graphics arts companies. We’re in a different business.”
I was about to answer when the Board member who wasn’t involved in the business said, “But the Commonwealth Bank has just gotten rid of 4000 Dell laptops and replaced them with Mac laptops. They’ve got the new branch in Queen Street and there’s lots of Apple equipment in there.”
The Financial Controller’s face turned the same colour as her lipstick…
Stavros turned to her and said that he wanted to see all her financial projections for this move to Windows including all the benefits. He asked me to have a look at them and report back to him.
This meant one more trip to Brisbane. It ended up being memorable.
I’ll tell you how this story finished soon.
I wanted to prepare. This was going to be an unhappy meeting for someone.
The day came and I got a cab over to their office. It was off Coronation Drive so the morning traffic was a struggle.
I arrived and went in. The Financial Controller was in my face almost from the moment I walked in. She wanted to know what I was going to tell the board.
I said “I’m going to give them my professional opinion on what I think is the best solution for this business”.
She was so arrogantly self-absorbed that she didn’t think for a moment that I might say something that wasn’t in agreement with her agenda.
We walked into the Boardroom and got introduced after a few minutes of pleasantries we sat down and the meeting started. The technology stuff was scheduled for the start so at least I didn’t have long to wait.
The man who started the company, I’ll call him Stavros, turned to me and said “What do you think of our new technology strategy?”
“I think its going to waste a lot of money and it won’t give you anything new or unique.”
The Financial Controller nearly burst her brain.
The Board was surprised.
“Look”, I said, “regardless of what you’ve been told, you will have to spend over $400,000 to execute this strategy and you will have no extra functionality. You’re spending that money just to replace everything with Windows machines. You won’t get anything extra to what you have now. You may have the money to throw at this, but, you can spend $400,000 on computers, or, you can spend $400,000 on something that’ll turn into profit.”
Everyone around the table thought about this for a moment.
The Financial Controller gave me the ‘look of death’. I think I was off her Christmas Card list for good.
She was about to launch into a tirade when she was cut off by Stavros. He asked me if using Windows everywhere was what all businesses did.
“A lot of business do. But its expensive. Let me explain.”
The Board nodded.
“A copy of Windows costs you around $350 for an upgrade. A copy of the Mac Operating System costs you $32.00 for an upgrade. You have about 150 computers and you will have to pay for at least one upgrade in the life of a piece of hardware. The maths is simple About $52,000 for Windows and $4,800 for the Mac OS. You’re putting $48,000 in Microsoft’s pocket for nothing really. The operating system doesn’t do anything except the computer to turn on and be ready to do something.”
Just then the Financial Controller jumped in and said, “But no one uses Mac’s in business except for graphics arts companies. We’re in a different business.”
I was about to answer when the Board member who wasn’t involved in the business said, “But the Commonwealth Bank has just gotten rid of 4000 Dell laptops and replaced them with Mac laptops. They’ve got the new branch in Queen Street and there’s lots of Apple equipment in there.”
The Financial Controller’s face turned the same colour as her lipstick…
Stavros turned to her and said that he wanted to see all her financial projections for this move to Windows including all the benefits. He asked me to have a look at them and report back to him.
This meant one more trip to Brisbane. It ended up being memorable.
I’ll tell you how this story finished soon.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Good Morning Mr Husic. You mission, should you choose to accept it...
So. Ed Husic has decided to rattle the cage of the IT industry about pricing discrepancies between the US and Australia.
Congratulations Ed. You scored yourself a cheap headline by calling out the Managing Director of Apple Australia - Tony King.
Having been in the ICT industry for a long time I don’t disagree with Ed that the pricing discrepancies between the US and Australia are inexplicable but, seriously Ed, why didn’t you call out Microsoft, or maybe even Adobe - throw Lenovo in there as well.
Two of these three companies have had Australia grabbing their ankles for a long time and their mysterious pricing policies show much wilder discrepancies than Apple does.
Maybe your aides should do a little more research, because, in all honesty Ed. Going for the cheap headline is what I’ve come to expect from a politician. All sizzle and no sausage.
Maybe, Ed, you should get your staff to look at this article that was in IT News Apple by no means the worst Aussie price gouger, Mr Husic.
It gives a little more insight into the problem, with some numbers. I mean really Ed, if you want to have a really good look at some of this stuff maybe you should look at Adobe, and I don’t think anyone has had a real long hard look at Cisco and their pricing policies?
Really Ed if you wanted to become a hero to millions of consumers and even Australian business you should have a good hard look at Microsoft and Adobe. Get their pricing to look a bit more reasonable and you’d give back to Australian business millions of dollars in money spent on software.
The fact is Ed, while I wish something like this would happen, I doubt it will. The reason I doubt it is that as a politician you’re going to want to raise re-election funds. These guys make political donations and it seems to me that no politicians are left in Australia that have the sausage to match their sizzle.
This’ll be another flash in the pan where you can sit back and say “I raised the issue, but, the others wouldn’t back me up so re-elect me and I’ll maintain the rage. I spoke to Treasury. I spoke to the ACCC and they’re the ones who aren’t doing anything.”
Yeah. Right Ed. The only rage you’ll end up maintaining is if they raise the prices in the members bar.
I’d like to think you’ll prove me wrong, but, somehow I doubt it. If you were serious, I mean really serious, about this maybe you should spend some time talking to people on the ground in the ICT industry rather than using having a sit down with the MD of Apple Australia.
Talk to the guys who have to make IT work in small to medium businesses who run into daily examples of price discrimination in order to keep their businesses running efficiently.
I don’t think you’d do that Ed. There’s no headline in it for you.
Congratulations Ed. You scored yourself a cheap headline by calling out the Managing Director of Apple Australia - Tony King.
Having been in the ICT industry for a long time I don’t disagree with Ed that the pricing discrepancies between the US and Australia are inexplicable but, seriously Ed, why didn’t you call out Microsoft, or maybe even Adobe - throw Lenovo in there as well.
Two of these three companies have had Australia grabbing their ankles for a long time and their mysterious pricing policies show much wilder discrepancies than Apple does.
Maybe your aides should do a little more research, because, in all honesty Ed. Going for the cheap headline is what I’ve come to expect from a politician. All sizzle and no sausage.
Maybe, Ed, you should get your staff to look at this article that was in IT News Apple by no means the worst Aussie price gouger, Mr Husic.
It gives a little more insight into the problem, with some numbers. I mean really Ed, if you want to have a really good look at some of this stuff maybe you should look at Adobe, and I don’t think anyone has had a real long hard look at Cisco and their pricing policies?
Really Ed if you wanted to become a hero to millions of consumers and even Australian business you should have a good hard look at Microsoft and Adobe. Get their pricing to look a bit more reasonable and you’d give back to Australian business millions of dollars in money spent on software.
The fact is Ed, while I wish something like this would happen, I doubt it will. The reason I doubt it is that as a politician you’re going to want to raise re-election funds. These guys make political donations and it seems to me that no politicians are left in Australia that have the sausage to match their sizzle.
This’ll be another flash in the pan where you can sit back and say “I raised the issue, but, the others wouldn’t back me up so re-elect me and I’ll maintain the rage. I spoke to Treasury. I spoke to the ACCC and they’re the ones who aren’t doing anything.”
Yeah. Right Ed. The only rage you’ll end up maintaining is if they raise the prices in the members bar.
I’d like to think you’ll prove me wrong, but, somehow I doubt it. If you were serious, I mean really serious, about this maybe you should spend some time talking to people on the ground in the ICT industry rather than using having a sit down with the MD of Apple Australia.
Talk to the guys who have to make IT work in small to medium businesses who run into daily examples of price discrimination in order to keep their businesses running efficiently.
I don’t think you’d do that Ed. There’s no headline in it for you.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Steve Jobs Resigns as Apple CEO - its iMargeddon
It was always going to happen.
Jobs was never going to stay as CEO forever.
The fact that he resigned the way he did was smart, and good for Apple.
Despite what all the ADHD afflicted Wall Street wunderkinder think, dumping shares and claiming doom and gloom because their spreadsheet models say so, this isn’t as big a problem as everyone thinks.
Different situation. Gates resigned after the rot had set in and handed the reigns over to Monkey Boy. Vista was already in the works before Bill resigned, he just left the big steaming pile for Ballmer to deal with.
This time Jobs, appears, to be leaving with Apple going from strength to strength.
The other day I was in one of those Home Maker Super Centres.
The 5 year olds wanted to play with iPads and Macs. I mean all of them. They weren’t lining up top play with Windows 7 laptops or someone else’s tablet.
Want to know what tech trend to follow look at what floats the boat of a 5 year old.
I don’t really think iMargeddon is here - but if you do I’ll offer you a couple of bucks for your Apple shares.
Jobs was never going to stay as CEO forever.
The fact that he resigned the way he did was smart, and good for Apple.
Despite what all the ADHD afflicted Wall Street wunderkinder think, dumping shares and claiming doom and gloom because their spreadsheet models say so, this isn’t as big a problem as everyone thinks.
- Jobs is a long term thinker. He knew this day was coming and has been busy preparing.
- While the common view of Apple is that its a company built on one tent pole, and that tent pole is Steve Jobs - there’s more to the company that just him.
- Jobs brilliance lies in the fact that he can look at technology and distill it down to something that is accessible to the “I just want it to work” crowd.
- I’m willing to bet money that he’s been explaining this rationale to everyone in his inner circle.
- Apple’s product line for the next 2 years are already in the pipeline.
- Apple’s engineering mules for the next 4 years of possible products are in the pipeline.
Different situation. Gates resigned after the rot had set in and handed the reigns over to Monkey Boy. Vista was already in the works before Bill resigned, he just left the big steaming pile for Ballmer to deal with.
This time Jobs, appears, to be leaving with Apple going from strength to strength.
- The iPhone 5 due ‘real soon now’.
- The Mac grabbing market share like Ballmer grabs futile acquisitions.
- A very successful patent war being fought against Samsung. The timing on this is interesting too.
The other day I was in one of those Home Maker Super Centres.
The 5 year olds wanted to play with iPads and Macs. I mean all of them. They weren’t lining up top play with Windows 7 laptops or someone else’s tablet.
Want to know what tech trend to follow look at what floats the boat of a 5 year old.
I don’t really think iMargeddon is here - but if you do I’ll offer you a couple of bucks for your Apple shares.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Dilbert Loves WinMoPho
It turns out that Dilbert’s creator, Scott Adams, loves his WinMoPho, or at least acording to the spin on the story from another blog site.
Normally I’d leave this sort of drivel alone, but, it kind of makes me think of the bleats you’d get from Apple fanbois, back in the day when you had to defend your choice of Apple gear.
Here’s the paragraph that got my attention, “Scott Adams after accepting the challenge from Brandon Watson on using Windows Phone just published his results. In short, Windows Phone emerged as Winner. He actually compared Windows Phone on Samsung Focus on AT&T, iPhone 3Gs on AT&T and HTC Evo 3D on Sprint. Even though he didn’t use every single feature of all these devices, he just used the way he wants and found Windows Phone as the winner.”
Now most people when they hear the word winner they think of gold medal on the top step of the podium I was so good you barely deserve to live in my shadow type winner.
Here’s what Scott Adams said in his blog post “However, the intangible coolness factor is impossible to ignore. Even the names Microsoft and Windows feel dated. And the home screen of the Windows phone is great from a usability standpoint, but lacks sizzle. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t matter to me.”
This doesn’t sound like a clear winner to me.
In fact Scott Adams has hit on the real issue. WinMoPho’s just aren’t cool.
Its like you’re being given a choice between three cars. One is a high performance machine that, for every hour of driving needs an hour of tuning but is cool and lets face it, kinda fun. The second is a high performance machine that’s been built by an engineer without a lot of thought for ergonomics or fuel economy. The third is your father’s Volvo.
Hmmm.
So then you find ways to justify the Volvo as being the new up and coming thing.
It’ll be there. It’ll have market share, but, its not going to set anyone’s world alight.
Normally I’d leave this sort of drivel alone, but, it kind of makes me think of the bleats you’d get from Apple fanbois, back in the day when you had to defend your choice of Apple gear.
Here’s the paragraph that got my attention, “Scott Adams after accepting the challenge from Brandon Watson on using Windows Phone just published his results. In short, Windows Phone emerged as Winner. He actually compared Windows Phone on Samsung Focus on AT&T, iPhone 3Gs on AT&T and HTC Evo 3D on Sprint. Even though he didn’t use every single feature of all these devices, he just used the way he wants and found Windows Phone as the winner.”
Now most people when they hear the word winner they think of gold medal on the top step of the podium I was so good you barely deserve to live in my shadow type winner.
Here’s what Scott Adams said in his blog post “However, the intangible coolness factor is impossible to ignore. Even the names Microsoft and Windows feel dated. And the home screen of the Windows phone is great from a usability standpoint, but lacks sizzle. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t matter to me.”
This doesn’t sound like a clear winner to me.
In fact Scott Adams has hit on the real issue. WinMoPho’s just aren’t cool.
Its like you’re being given a choice between three cars. One is a high performance machine that, for every hour of driving needs an hour of tuning but is cool and lets face it, kinda fun. The second is a high performance machine that’s been built by an engineer without a lot of thought for ergonomics or fuel economy. The third is your father’s Volvo.
Hmmm.
So then you find ways to justify the Volvo as being the new up and coming thing.
It’ll be there. It’ll have market share, but, its not going to set anyone’s world alight.
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Apple Double Play.
I just finished reading an article in PC Magazine that really got me thinking.
The piece was entitled ‘The Apple Product That Really Worries PC Vendors’.
It really got me thinking, especially in light of the fact that the Commonwealth Bank recently decided to arm their staff with MacBook Air laptops.
The interesting this about this was the following:
Branch visitors were free to use iMac, iPad, iPod and Asus touchscreen devices to browse foreign exchange rates, products, and to make appointments with CBA specialists – much like how Apple customers arranged to visit the vendor’s ‘Genius bar’.
The bank also planned to replace internal Dell desktops with MacBook Air notebooks nationwide, allowing employees to choose to operate on either Mac OS or Windows platforms.
Wow! I really mean WOW!
Think about this in terms of the the information from Canalys that I mentioned in this post ‘Wintel Market Share Slips’.
The Commonwealth Bank, the guys who hung on to OS/2 for years past its expiry date are doing a widespread deployment of Apple MacBook Air laptops. This is astounding news.
Here’s the really amazing potential - lets assume that they replace all 4000 Dell laptops with the MacBook Air. Here’s the really interesting maths:
4000 copies of Windows 7 Entreprise, even at the best possible price couldn’t be less that $175 a copy, lets call it $150 just to keep the calculations simple. Lion is $31.99.
That means a saving on OS upgrade costs of $472,040.
Half a Million Dollars saving on an Operating System upgrade!
Where would you want the half million, on your bottom line or on Microsoft’s?
Careful of your answer, your shareholders are watching.
The piece was entitled ‘The Apple Product That Really Worries PC Vendors’.
It really got me thinking, especially in light of the fact that the Commonwealth Bank recently decided to arm their staff with MacBook Air laptops.
The interesting this about this was the following:
Branch visitors were free to use iMac, iPad, iPod and Asus touchscreen devices to browse foreign exchange rates, products, and to make appointments with CBA specialists – much like how Apple customers arranged to visit the vendor’s ‘Genius bar’.
The bank also planned to replace internal Dell desktops with MacBook Air notebooks nationwide, allowing employees to choose to operate on either Mac OS or Windows platforms.
Wow! I really mean WOW!
Think about this in terms of the the information from Canalys that I mentioned in this post ‘Wintel Market Share Slips’.
The Commonwealth Bank, the guys who hung on to OS/2 for years past its expiry date are doing a widespread deployment of Apple MacBook Air laptops. This is astounding news.
Here’s the really amazing potential - lets assume that they replace all 4000 Dell laptops with the MacBook Air. Here’s the really interesting maths:
4000 copies of Windows 7 Entreprise, even at the best possible price couldn’t be less that $175 a copy, lets call it $150 just to keep the calculations simple. Lion is $31.99.
That means a saving on OS upgrade costs of $472,040.
Half a Million Dollars saving on an Operating System upgrade!
Where would you want the half million, on your bottom line or on Microsoft’s?
Careful of your answer, your shareholders are watching.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
R.I.P Microsoft Reader. What? I thought it died years ago?
I came across an article talking about this the other day. They claimed that the product was too ahead of its time.
This just sounds like the blatherings of a fanboi.
To be sure, over the years there have been a lot of technically brilliant products that have stumbled and failed. VHS Vs. Beta anyone?
Microsoft Reader failed because it was just created as yet another way to drive sales of Windows. There was never going to be a Kindle-like device from Redmond and that was always going to be the problem.
I mean who the hell was going to snuggle up in bed with one of those original and insanely expensive Windows Tablet PC’s (all 3+ Kgs of it) to read their favourite book, while connected to power because the battery life was so crappy?
Wake up to yourselves! That was never going to happen!
The great thing about Amazon’s solution is that I can read my books on any doohickey I’ve got - iOS, Android even WinMoPho as well as a real honest to goodness Kindle. That was never going to happen with the Microsoft Reader.
And that’s the whole problem with Microsoft, they’re a one trick pony and that trick is Windows. Everything they do is built on the credo of “sell more Windows” and that’s going to be the reason for their ultimate failure. I mean if people didn’t really want choice then every car would be a Ford.
Sometimes people just want to buy a Kindle.
This just sounds like the blatherings of a fanboi.
To be sure, over the years there have been a lot of technically brilliant products that have stumbled and failed. VHS Vs. Beta anyone?
Microsoft Reader failed because it was just created as yet another way to drive sales of Windows. There was never going to be a Kindle-like device from Redmond and that was always going to be the problem.
I mean who the hell was going to snuggle up in bed with one of those original and insanely expensive Windows Tablet PC’s (all 3+ Kgs of it) to read their favourite book, while connected to power because the battery life was so crappy?
Wake up to yourselves! That was never going to happen!
The great thing about Amazon’s solution is that I can read my books on any doohickey I’ve got - iOS, Android even WinMoPho as well as a real honest to goodness Kindle. That was never going to happen with the Microsoft Reader.
And that’s the whole problem with Microsoft, they’re a one trick pony and that trick is Windows. Everything they do is built on the credo of “sell more Windows” and that’s going to be the reason for their ultimate failure. I mean if people didn’t really want choice then every car would be a Ford.
Sometimes people just want to buy a Kindle.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
How do I know that the Mac is making corporate inroads?
Challenging the dominion of Windows in the corporate world is the Mac.
Buoyed by increasing marketshare and a better user experience there are cracks starting to appear in Microsoft’s corporate Berlin Wall.
Autodesk announced that AutoCAD LT will be available through the App Store at $899.
AutoCAD has been available on the Mac platform for a while now as well.
Is this the first of many to come?
Buoyed by increasing marketshare and a better user experience there are cracks starting to appear in Microsoft’s corporate Berlin Wall.
Autodesk announced that AutoCAD LT will be available through the App Store at $899.
AutoCAD has been available on the Mac platform for a while now as well.
Is this the first of many to come?
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Google buys Motorola Mobile
Lawyers all over the United States woke up happy this morning on hearing the news that Google has splashed out cash, to the tune of $12.5 billion to acquire Motorola Mobile and its portfolio of around 25,000 patents.
Googorola? Motorogle?
I like Googorola personally. It sounds like something that would go on a rampage and flatten Tokyo for our matinee entertainment.
I’m guessing that Google plans to unleash their mutant matinee monster in Redmond and Cupertino hoping for a Godzilla meets Tokyo like result and with such a large patent portfolio you’ve got to start wondering how long it’ll be before their army of lawyers will end up rolling into action like London teens looking for a night of looting and pillaging.
The really interesting story here is the effect on LG, Samsung and, especially, HTC.
HTC is now between the devil and the deep blue sea. On one side their wildly successful Android based business and on the other their not so much Windows MoPho based products.
The good news for them (!?), now, is that they’re going to be competing directly against their key suppliers. Microsoft and Nokia, who have recently announced that they’re going to drop prices to buy marketshare in the US for the good of Finland, Redmond and the WinMoPho way. Googorola who have now got a hardware/software end to end experience and they control Android too. Unless it now somehow forks.
Publicly HTC, Samsung and LG aren’t going to be too vocal about this. They won’t want to piss off the Gnomes of Mountain View, but you’ve got to wonder about the long term effects on their businesses.
If the Gnomes really wanted to go for a scorched earth policy they should have bought Nokia, I mean with their share price it wouldn’t cost a whole lot, and then move the whole company to Android and leave Ballmer standing with his WinMoPho in his hand.
As for Samsung, between their problems with Apple and now facing down Googorola, Tokyo’s not all that far from Seoul after all, they’ve got some real problems especially since they’re only just starting to make serious inroads into the market place with the Galaxy S II.
LG look like they’re going to be the big losers in this one because they don’t really have major market penetration outside Korea.
I’ll talk a bit more about this over the next couple of weeks because this is a landscape mover.
I wonder if any IP Law Firms have floated? That’s where I’d be putting my money.
Googorola? Motorogle?
I like Googorola personally. It sounds like something that would go on a rampage and flatten Tokyo for our matinee entertainment.
I’m guessing that Google plans to unleash their mutant matinee monster in Redmond and Cupertino hoping for a Godzilla meets Tokyo like result and with such a large patent portfolio you’ve got to start wondering how long it’ll be before their army of lawyers will end up rolling into action like London teens looking for a night of looting and pillaging.
The really interesting story here is the effect on LG, Samsung and, especially, HTC.
HTC is now between the devil and the deep blue sea. On one side their wildly successful Android based business and on the other their not so much Windows MoPho based products.
The good news for them (!?), now, is that they’re going to be competing directly against their key suppliers. Microsoft and Nokia, who have recently announced that they’re going to drop prices to buy marketshare in the US for the good of Finland, Redmond and the WinMoPho way. Googorola who have now got a hardware/software end to end experience and they control Android too. Unless it now somehow forks.
Publicly HTC, Samsung and LG aren’t going to be too vocal about this. They won’t want to piss off the Gnomes of Mountain View, but you’ve got to wonder about the long term effects on their businesses.
If the Gnomes really wanted to go for a scorched earth policy they should have bought Nokia, I mean with their share price it wouldn’t cost a whole lot, and then move the whole company to Android and leave Ballmer standing with his WinMoPho in his hand.
As for Samsung, between their problems with Apple and now facing down Googorola, Tokyo’s not all that far from Seoul after all, they’ve got some real problems especially since they’re only just starting to make serious inroads into the market place with the Galaxy S II.
LG look like they’re going to be the big losers in this one because they don’t really have major market penetration outside Korea.
I’ll talk a bit more about this over the next couple of weeks because this is a landscape mover.
I wonder if any IP Law Firms have floated? That’s where I’d be putting my money.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Beam Me Up Ballmer!
Just following on from my piece the other day about Ballmer’s infatuation with a Star Trek interface for Windows.
I came across this article on BGR.COM - Microsoft adding speech recognition tech to Windows 8.
Looks like Redmond has become the launch pad for the Starship Enterprise.
Live long and be baffled!
I came across this article on BGR.COM - Microsoft adding speech recognition tech to Windows 8.
Looks like Redmond has become the launch pad for the Starship Enterprise.
Live long and be baffled!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Now Star Trek is a Corporate Strategy. Beam me up. Please!
One of the journalists I like to follow is John Dvorak from PC Magazine.
Opinionated? Yes. Been around long enough to smell the bullshit? Absolutely.
One of the pieces that he wrote that got my interest was one entitled Microsoft’s Wacky New Direction: Star Trek!
But this got me thinking about some of the more practical problems with Microsoft’s (Ballmer's) new idea and why its doomed to failure.
Imagine if you will, for a moment, an office populated with this technology. Hundreds of cube rats in an open plan office, stacked, racked and packed to extract every single dollar of value out of the insanely high rent they’re paying per square metre, all interacting with their computer by voice and having that same computer talk back to them.
In case you have any trouble imagining that go to a loud, busy bar.
Quite apart from the technical issues who would want to work in an environment like that, not the bar, the noise, we’d all love to work in a bar, not great for productivity but fantastic for staff morale.
You know, when you’ve got a CEO talking up stuff like this that Microsoft is in deep, deep trouble and that Ballmer recognises that he’s got a great big target painted on his forehead.
Good luck Steve. I think you’re going to need it.
Opinionated? Yes. Been around long enough to smell the bullshit? Absolutely.
One of the pieces that he wrote that got my interest was one entitled Microsoft’s Wacky New Direction: Star Trek!
But this got me thinking about some of the more practical problems with Microsoft’s (Ballmer's) new idea and why its doomed to failure.
Imagine if you will, for a moment, an office populated with this technology. Hundreds of cube rats in an open plan office, stacked, racked and packed to extract every single dollar of value out of the insanely high rent they’re paying per square metre, all interacting with their computer by voice and having that same computer talk back to them.
In case you have any trouble imagining that go to a loud, busy bar.
Quite apart from the technical issues who would want to work in an environment like that, not the bar, the noise, we’d all love to work in a bar, not great for productivity but fantastic for staff morale.
You know, when you’ve got a CEO talking up stuff like this that Microsoft is in deep, deep trouble and that Ballmer recognises that he’s got a great big target painted on his forehead.
Good luck Steve. I think you’re going to need it.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Lets talk about Office 365 baby
The trumpets blare! The Hallelujah Chorus comes up! Office 365 is here! Let all rejoice!
Australia get ready to grab your ankles!
Over the weekend I was talking to a friend of mine who is looking into Office 365. He was working through the numbers to try and see if there's a benefit for his company.
Initially he was doing all of his budgetary forecasts on the quoted price on Microsoft's website of USD$24 per user per month. At that number the pricing looked interesting.
Then Telstra comes riding over the hill with a price of AUD$40.10 per user per month.
Now while I may have a Vodka addled brain, even I realise that with the USD sinking to record lows someone is making out like a bandit on this deal.
The only way that pricing difference makes any sense is if AUD$1 got you about USD$0.58 - as I'm writing this AUD$1 gets you about USD$1.06.
This is a cloud based service. There is no 'product' as such. Nothing is shipped, warehoused, stored and so on so what the hell is the justification for such a huge increase in price? My friend was told that there were pricing differences based on geographic region.
I just don't get that, it defeats the purpose of the cloud. I mean Office 365 for Australia is, as far as I know, driven out of a data centre in Singapore.
According to the Singapore Office 365 website users are being charged USD$24 per user per month so why are Australian users being hit with such a massive price increase for the privilege of using their bandwidth to access these applications?
At these prices, unless Microsoft hoists the prices of their other products, I can't see this generating torrents of cash out of Australia.
It would be cheaper to go and register a company in the United States and buy Office 365 from there.
Australia get ready to grab your ankles!
Over the weekend I was talking to a friend of mine who is looking into Office 365. He was working through the numbers to try and see if there's a benefit for his company.
Initially he was doing all of his budgetary forecasts on the quoted price on Microsoft's website of USD$24 per user per month. At that number the pricing looked interesting.
Then Telstra comes riding over the hill with a price of AUD$40.10 per user per month.
Now while I may have a Vodka addled brain, even I realise that with the USD sinking to record lows someone is making out like a bandit on this deal.
The only way that pricing difference makes any sense is if AUD$1 got you about USD$0.58 - as I'm writing this AUD$1 gets you about USD$1.06.
This is a cloud based service. There is no 'product' as such. Nothing is shipped, warehoused, stored and so on so what the hell is the justification for such a huge increase in price? My friend was told that there were pricing differences based on geographic region.
I just don't get that, it defeats the purpose of the cloud. I mean Office 365 for Australia is, as far as I know, driven out of a data centre in Singapore.
According to the Singapore Office 365 website users are being charged USD$24 per user per month so why are Australian users being hit with such a massive price increase for the privilege of using their bandwidth to access these applications?
At these prices, unless Microsoft hoists the prices of their other products, I can't see this generating torrents of cash out of Australia.
It would be cheaper to go and register a company in the United States and buy Office 365 from there.
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