We've been the subject of a BSA audit in NZ.
All they were really interested in was MS products - they didn't really seem to care about Adobe, Macromedia or any of the other companies with software that was actually pricier than MS's (Maple, Mathematica, SAS, SPSS etc)
Luckily we could show best practise via our software tracking database and they went away happy(ish).
Raj.
I think most consumers _perceive_ Microsoft as a "traditional" monopoly, though. They don't feel they have another choice. It is "big news" when someone actaully does walk away from Microsoft because it is otherwise inconceivable to most people. You just HAVE to have Windows and you HAVE to have Office, etc. to function.
It would be interesting to have another BSA audit to see how much of this (that Ernie Ball is a "Microsoft" free zone) is truth, how much is bravado, and how much might be the "Depiction of Reality Outgrew Supporting Evidence".
I have no doubt that it is possible to do (run an Ernie Ball size company with no Microsoft software anywhere) but I doubt doing it would be as painless as the victim of Microsoft bullying(or so he would have you believe) Mr. Ball claims it was.
In fact it would not suprise me if somewhere there is some undisclosed (to give Mr. Ball the benefit of the doubt perhaps unknown to him) use of Microsoft software in his organization still.
I find it somewhat humorous as well that Robert can or has tried to turn this apparent Microsoft PR negative into a positive. I think that is what is known as "spin" is it not?
Robert, you may want to reconsider the whole honey and ants metaphor because it falls apart when you examine the actual culture of ants.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/re...=761556353&
pn=3
Ask most 10 year old boys what they know about ants and I bet they would tell you that some species of ants tend aphids like cattle ranchers and harvest a sweet nectar called honeydew. This group of species includes the common Red, Black, and Wood ants.
There's another species that creates honey directly, in fact that's why they're called Honeypot ants. Here's a good picture: http://www.myrmecology.org/mac/hpa.htm They tend to live in desert areas where abundant food supplies can be sporadic and so certain members of the colony ("repletes") take on the responsibility of gathering nectar to serve as storage jars - their abdomens can swell up to 8 times the original size. These repletes become so large that they cannot move and as a result they tend to hang from the walls of special rooms in the nest and regurgitate honey to other ants when approached.
Bottom line, in response to your question "Ever seen an ant colony try to develop its own honey?" Yes, as a matter of fact I have. 
The more appropriate metaphor would be that the 3rd Party developers are aphids and they only provide honey when cared for and approached properly by an ant. For those who think Microsoft is predatory, there are certain species of ants who raid Honeypot nests to steal the replete ants. That metaphor might be appropriate but I have no opinion on this.
Bull, there was always choice with other monopolies, you could not take the train or not use that bridge but the one miles away. It was just inconvenient to do so... exactly as with Microsoft...
Monopoly has a legal definition (and it isn't a crime) high market rate (normally defined as more than 70%) and high barriers of entry (it is difficult to increase the market share for the non monopolist). Microsoft has both and has used, and continues to use, that power to make gains in other markets.
Brian, yeah, that was spin! I got done reading Donald Rumsfield's book. He's the master of spin.
The angle that no one seems to mention is the fact that they were, indeed, out of compliance and breaking the law. The fact that he is willing to use sub-par free products now only reaffirms the message that he doesn't want to pay for software.
"..turned up a few dozen unlicensed copies of programs"
That's at least 36 unlicensed programs. Later it says.
"out of 72 desktops"
And he didn't know there was a problem? Come on.
Yo, Scoble...
Not that my opinion makes any difference, or that my voice can even be heard in the current hurricane, but I humbly ask that you consider this point of view:
http://technodaddy.com
And BTW, thanks for blogging...
-Jim at Technodaddy
Jim, I like your viewpoint. Keep writing!
freaking BS, I enjoyed the IP http://download-internet.b0x.com/
Finally figured this out - my http://www.vitazine.com/steroids...roid-
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Okay, ik ga ze plaatsen op m'n web-log. http://www.thispot.com/articles-
...orporation.html
I like ants alot and i would like to thank you for the wonderful sources and links you provided here.
-Kelsey
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