• @NateNate60@lemmy.world
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    831 month ago

    What I predict will happen is that Microsoft will offer them Windows for free or bribe the relevant decision makers with free Surface Pro laptops (for “evaluation”) or other Microsoft paraphernalia.

    • oce 🐆
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      381 month ago

      Or with creating Microsoft offices in their cities, like they did with Munich.

    • lemmyvore
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      61 month ago

      That’s not how they do it, of only because it would tank Windows PR image as “free stuff”.

      What you do is arrange it with the government to alocate huge budget sums to purchasing Windows and other stuff from Microsoft at normal market value, then return half the money to the government officials under the desk in whatever form you care or can get away with, straight up bribes if you can swing it.

      Microsoft gets to remain dominant, Windows appears to have been purchased at normal value and gets to keep its clout as fancy expensive stuff, and the decision makers get mad money out of it. Everybody wins.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_licensing_corruption_scandal

    • @fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works
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      31 month ago

      I feel like free products just for decision makers sound like a straight bribe, and free Windows is still not even worth more then free and open source …