[plug] Microsoft and Action Packs. What can we do to compete ???

[Michael Hunt]

Hi ya all,

Check out the following url if your are interested or read on below:

http://www.microsoft.com/partner/businessresources/salesresources/actionpack
/actionpack_plus.asp

Microsoft are offering action packs (bundles of Not for Resale software) to
its partners in order to rally sales of its products. Nothing particularly
unusual about that you say, well interestingly enough the action pack
includes the 'Competing with Linux Partner Guide'. Also it licences all the
software on a 1 year subscription basis (i.e. renew your subscription or
remove the software from your machine). Basically according to the blurb you
are getting

I will say that is the most attractive, well presented, all round good buy
for M$ partners that I have ever seen them produce (all there other
'schemes' basically involved you handing over truck loads of money). Given
that we are soon to host a LCA conference in here in Perth, that we have as
one of our main purposes the advocacy of Linux what can we do to compete.

Specifically what can we do for the business types who make decisions based
on the amount of 'vendor loving' that they get ???

Any suggestions would be much appreciated and thoughtful discussion is
encouraged.

Michael Hunt