[LINK] No deal with Yahoo! re Zimbra and Australian non-profits

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
> Darrell Burkey wrote:
>> We work in an environment where companies like MS now give away server
>> software and Exchange software to non-profits.
> And on the subject of Microsoft giving away software to non-profits - 
> and then revoking their not for profit status once their software has 
> been entrenched.....
> 

I don't quite understand this. Is Microsoft or the Tax office revoking the 
Non-Profit status?
<http://www.ato.gov.au/nonprofit/>

There is Tax review a foot and Companies elsewhere are being required to report 
on their CSR activities.

Marghanita


> Software slug for age care centres
> Karen Dearne
> October 28, 2008
> Australian IT
> http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24561082-15306,00.html
> 
> MICROSOFT will rip an estimated $70 million out of the aged care 
> sector's IT budget over the next 18 months as it forces users to pay 
> full commercial rates for previously discounted software.
> 
> Aged care providers are shocked by Microsoft's decision to revoke their 
> not-for-profit status, which gave them access to its products at a 
> heavily discounted rate. As a result, Microsoft's Office, Sharepoint and 
> SQL server products are firmly entrenched in the sector's IT infrastructure.
> 
> The Aged Care Industry IT Council says full commercial rates would hike 
> annual licensing fees paid by users by about 400 per cent - and swallow 
> half of the sector's annual technology budget.
> 
> "Like many other industry sectors, aged care has probably a 90 per 
> cent-plus reliance on Microsoft infrastructure, so it's not difficult 
> for the company to say the rules have changed, the fees will now be $X," 
> IT Council spokesman Mark Barnett said.
> 
> "The difficulty for aged care providers is that they've bet the farm on 
> a Microsoft strategy that they believed was consistent and reliable in 
> price."
> 
> The providers are saying they've spent millions on Microsoft products, 
> and if they now need to pay additional fees their "whole strategy is 
> pretty wobbly", he said.
> 
> Mr Barnett said the IT Council had been talking to Microsoft over the 
> past six weeks to reach a resolution.
> 
> The software giant granted "a stay of execution" late last week ahead of 
> an IT Council meeting. Mr Barnett said Microsoft had agreed to take no 
> further action on the changes before Christmas.
> 
> At least three technology projects were put on hold last Friday pending 
> the outcome of discussions.
> 
> A Microsoft spokesman said a recent review had uncovered "a number of 
> ineligible entities, including a range of commercial organisations, that 
> were using Academic Volume Licensing programs" under the belief they 
> qualified.
> 
> "As such, we are beginning the process of transitioning these customers 
> to an appropriate licensing program," the spokesman said.
> 
> "Also, we are developing a charity-specific volume licensing program in 
> an effort to support the important work undertaken by not-for-profit 
> organisations.
> 
> "However, we are not yet in a position to announce final details around 
> this program."
> 
> The spokesman said Microsoft remained committed to supporting 
> not-for-profit organisations and had donated more than $22 million worth 
> of software to local charities last year.
> 
> According to a survey by Grant Thornton, there are some 1300 approved 
> residential providers caring for more than 187,000 elderly Australians 
> in 2900 homes.
> 
> Church, charitable and community organisations account for about 60 per 
> cent of the residential aged care market.
> 
> The industry is consolidating, Grant Thornton says, but the largest 
> operator only operates 6000 aged care beds - less than 5 per cent of the 
> overall market share.
> 
> In contrast, Ramsey Health Care holds about 30 per cent of the private 
> hospital bed market.
> 
> Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot has been pushing aged care providers 
> to adopt IT systems for improved resident care and financial savings. 
> One trial saved about $200,000 across 23 participating homes, she said 
> earlier this year.
> 
> "If adopted by all nursing homes across Australia, this one program 
> alone could result in savings in the order of $25 million," Mrs Elliot said.
> 


-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202