ZDNet: Pressure increases over Microsoft licensing

"Influential IT users in the UK are putting pressure on the government to launch an inquiry into Microsoft's new licensing schemes. They allege the software giant is guilty of exploiting its dominant market position to force its customers to accept steep price increases.

Despite growing protest, Microsoft has insisted that the changes will go ahead, leading some IT managers to consider a ban on buying new Microsoft software.

...IT managers themselves said the new licensing scheme might put them off buying from Microsoft in future. 'We have no budget to sign up for Microsoft's new scheme. I'm hoping to get a Linux server in the door and maybe we'll be able to say goodbye to Microsoft,' said the IT manager of an international recruitment firm. Another said that if the schemes resulted in too much expense and inconvenience, his company would 'think twice about Microsoft'."

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