Inside Microsoft, it’s called the “Tobacco Strategy”
Microsoft may be having some trouble getting its new Office document format accepted as an official international standard (see “Standards agency snubs Microsoft’s OOXML — says it ’sounds too funny’ ”), but that’s not slowing its effort to achieve domination the old-fashioned way — by growing the installed base. And part of that strategy is to get ‘em hooked young. To that end, Microsoft today is wooing students with a hard-to-resist deal: a copy of Office Ultimate 2007, packed with everything from Word to Groove, for just $60. If math isn’t your major, that’s 91 percent off the $680 retail price. The promotion starts in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. today, followed by France, Italy and Spain on September 20, and it lasts until April 30. Sounds pretty tasty, eh, kids? Just remember, that first rush will fade, and the longer you use this stuff, the harder it is to kick.
Hmmmm, sounds like the old “heroin strategy” to me…
If apple did it people would cheer!
Australia has already had this offer back in May.
Nice that they are offering it in other countries now.
Office for uni students