Bonum Certa Men Certa

The Games Microsoft Plays in Portugal to Fight Free Software

Microsoft, Portugal, and 'ownership' of government officials

Despite our attempts to steer away from politics, Microsoft plays this angle so persistently that it becomes foolish -- if not even irresponsible -- to ignore it. Some days ago we discovered that the monopolists' friend, Commissioner Mccreevy, is pushing letters at Barroso's direction nowadays. It was also just weeks ago that Microsoft hired John Vassallo to handle things after the sheer OOXML abuses. Vassallo is somewhat of an insider.



At the moment, as part of the 'mad acquisition' strategy, Microsoft grabs more control in telecommunication. The American company is taking over the Portuguese phone program provider called MobiComp. And It's not just about Portugal.

MobiComp's customer base includes 11 mobile operators around the world, including Zain (Kuwait), ALJAWAL (Saudi Arabia) and Syriatel (Syria). The company says its services provide operators with ways of establishing closer (and presumably more profitable) relationships with their customers.


Now, have a look at the press release. [via Groklaw]

[Microsoft Portugal GM:] "It highlights the success of our prime minister's economic policies and serves as proof of Microsoft's commitment to the partnership signed between Portugal's government and Bill Gates two years ago. Following several top companywide awards for Microsoft Portugal, this is further evidence of our visibility in Microsoft's worldwide efforts."


Pamela Jones wrote: "Here's the press release about the meeting in 2006 in Lisbon. EC President José Manuel Barroso, who is Portugese, attended, incidentally. And Portugal was one of the countries where the OOXML delegation was headed by a Microsoft employee." Remember Microsoft's recent push to dump software on Portugal's schools ("free" as in "free shackles"), which face increased need for Free software substitutes they receive.

"'Free software' is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of 'free' as in 'free speech,' not as in 'free beer'."

--Richard Stallman



To learn what Microsoft did for OOXML in Portugal, scroll down to "P" here. It's rather appalling indeed.

From the older press release that Pamela Jones has dug up:

In addition to the new investments Microsoft is making in support of ICT education, the company also announced it is expanding its IP Ventures programme. This gives small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) the opportunity to licence Microsoft inventions that have untapped market potential.

Publicly launched in May 2005, IP Ventures provides a mechanism for selected Microsoft technologies, most of which have been developed in Microsoft Research labs around the world, to have a life outside of the company. Today’s announcement features new technologies available to licence and new relationships with European partners, including Enterprise Ireland and the Finnish National Fund for Research and Development (Sitra). Both are government-funded agencies that provide grants, investment, business counselling and office space to start-up companies.

“By working with groups that receive government funding for the purpose of spurring economic development, like Sitra and Enterprise Ireland, Microsoft is helping European companies to gain a foothold in the global IT industry,” says Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel in Microsoft’s Legal and Corporate Affairs division.


Barroso was there. It seems like part of the push for software patents in Europe. As we wrote at the start, Microsoft is playing politics. It's one of the things it excels at (and most heavily invests in).

Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

Amid Online Reports of XBox Sales Collapsing, Mass Layoffs in More Teams, and Windows Making Things Worse (Admission of Losses, Rumours About XBox Canceled as a Hardware Unit)...
Windows has loads of issues, also as a gaming platform
 
Consent & Debian's illegitimate constitution
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
The Time Our Server Host Died in a Car Accident
If Debian has internal problems, then they need to be illuminated and then tackled, at the very least in order to ensure we do not end up with "Deadian"
China's New 'IT' Rules Are a Massive Headache for Microsoft
On the issue of China we're neutral except when it comes to human rights issues
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
IRC logs for Wednesday, March 27, 2024
WeMakeFedora.org: harassment decision, victory for volunteers and Fedora Foundations
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 27/03/2024: Terrorism Grows in Africa, Unemployment in Finland Rose Sharply in a Year, Chinese Aggression Escalates
Links for the day
Links 27/03/2024: Ericsson and Tencent Layoffs
Links for the day
Links 27/03/2024: BBC Resorts to CG Cruft, Akamai Blocking Blunders in Piracy Shield
Links for the day
Android Approaches 90% of the Operating Systems Market in Chad (Windows Down From 99.5% 15 Years Ago to Just 2.5% Right Now)
Windows is down to about 2% on the Web-connected client side as measured by statCounter
Sainsbury's: Let Them Eat Yoghurts (and Microsoft Downtimes When They Need Proper Food)
a social control media 'scandal' this week
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
IRC logs for Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Windows/Client at Microsoft Falling Sharply (Well Over 10% Decline Every Quarter), So For His Next Trick the Ponzi in Chief Merges Units, Spices Everything Up With "AI"
Hiding the steep decline of Windows/Client at Microsoft?
Free technology in housing and construction
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
We Need Open Standards With Free Software Implementations, Not "Interoperability" Alone
Sadly we're confronting misguided managers and a bunch of clowns trying to herd us all - sometimes without consent - into "clown computing"
Microsoft's Collapse in the Web Server Space Continued This Month
Microsoft is the "2%", just like Windows in some countries
Links 26/03/2024: Inflation Problems, Strikes in Finland
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/03/2024: Losing Children, Carbon Tax Discussed
Links for the day
Mark Shuttleworth resigns from Debian: volunteer suicide and Albania questions unanswered, mass resignations continue
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 26/03/2024: 6,000 Layoffs at Dell, Microsoft “XBox is in Real Trouble as a Hardware Manufacturer”
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/03/2024: Microsofters Still Trying to 'Extend' Gemini Protocol
Links for the day
Look What IBM's Red Hat is Turning CentOS Into
For 17 years our site ran on CentOS. Thankfully we're done with that...
The Julian Paul Assange Verdict: The High Court Has Granted Assange Leave to Appeal Extradition to the United States, Decision Adjourned to May 20th Pending Assurances
The decision is out
The Microsoft and Apple Antitrust Issues Have Some But Not Many Commonalities
gist of the comparison to Microsoft
ZDNet, Sponsored by Microsoft for Paid-for Propaganda (in 'Article' Clothing), Has Added Pop-Up or Overlay to All Pages, Saying "813 Partners Will Store and Access Information on Your Device"
Avoiding ZDNet may become imperative given what it has turned into
Julian Assange Verdict 3 Hours Away
Their decision is due to be published at 1030 GMT
People Who Cover Suicide Aren't Suicidal
Assange didn't just "deteriorate". This deterioration was involuntary and very much imposed upon him.
Overworking Kills
The body usually (but not always) knows best
Former Red Hat Chief (CEO), Who Decided to Leave the Company Earlier This Month, Talks About "Cloud Company Red Hat" to CNBC
shows a lack of foresight and dependence on buzzwords
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 25, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, March 25, 2024
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Discord Does Not Make Money, It's Spying on People and Selling Data/Control (38% is Allegedly Controlled by the Communist Party of China)
a considerable share exists
In At Least Two Nations Windows is Now Measured at 2% "Market Share" (Microsoft Really Does Not Want People to Notice That)
Ignore the mindless "AI"-washing
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Still Has Hundreds of Thousands of Simultaneously-Online Unique Users
The scale of IRC