05.31.09
Gemini version available ♊︎Head of Microsoft Philippines Ditches the Company, More Layoffs Revealed (But Microsoft Withholds Details)
Summary: Microsoft is frail in the east and forth we put the latest evidence
THE CITIZENS of the Philippines saw many of the major cases of Microsoft’s OOXML fiasco. Some posts that provide examples from the Philippines are:
- OpenDocument Format Already a Winner in Brazil, Philippines Named for OOXML Irregularities
- The World Sighs as ISO Becomes Irrelevant
- Microsoft ‘Stole the Elections’ in Africa, Australia, Tried Philippines Also
- OOXML Marketing: Calling Lies a “Spin”
- OOXML Poison: Melvin Calimag Received Redmond’s Kool-Aid Too
- Ballot Stuffer from Redmond Stuffs Another FOSS Conference (Romania)
- The Beast of Redmond Intervenes with Yet Another Open Source Summit
- The Latest OOXML/ODF FUD from the Philippines, Microsoft and Gates Go Batting in Europe
- If Cattle, Use OOXML; If Wise, Use ODF
- The Effect of Burton Group FUD and the Source of the FUD (Microsoft?)
- Microsoft Goes Lobbying Against OpenDocument Format in Malaysia
- With Novell’s OOXML Support, Microsoft Lobbies and Deceives in the Philippines
- How Microsoft Operates in China and Parts of Asia
- Microsoft Puppet (Frost & Sullivan) Praises ‘Intellectual Property’, Novell’s Patent Deal
- Microsoft Lobbies for OOXML Through Proxies, IBM Does Its Own Legwork
In addition to this, more recently we wrote about Microsoft dumping software at no cost in order to suppress Free software. See for example:
Days ago, the English-speaking press in the Philippines declared that the head of Microsoft Philippines had abandoned the company, just like in Singapore where there were similar OOXML abuses. It’s said to be the same case in India.
Microsoft Philippines head quits
[...]
INQUIRER.net tried to contact Rollan but was unavailable for further comment.
In addition to this, far in the east we find that Microsoft's global layoffs continue. This goes beyond the previously-announced cuts and what was mere hearsay just a while ago is finally confirmed.
Industry rumours were set to rest when Microsoft confirmed a number of changes to its staffing.
According to Microsoft the restructure will affect a small, but unspecified, number of jobs and is part of the efficiency drive announced by Chief Executive, Steve Ballmer earlier this year. It follows job cuts that occurred earlier this month.
A Microsoft spokesperson said: “As part of this effort, we are making some changes in New Zealand.”
Microsoft’s recent blow in New Zealand we have already covered last week in:
- New Zealand’s Freedom Fighters Defeat Microsoft’s Latest ‘Colonisations Directive’
- Week of Microsoft Government Affairs: a Look Back, a Look Ahead
- Microsoft Land Grab Still on in the Far East
We have found some more new articles about it:
- Microsoft Loses NZ Government Windows Deal
- New Zealand cancels Microsoft talks
- Kiwis turn down Microsoft.
- Kiwis give Microsoft the finger
By frequently breaking the law, Microsoft has caused layoffs in many of its competitors over the years, usually leading just to further concentration of power which made Microsoft quite a political movement. If Microsoft was to collapse, people would find a place in more ethical companies to work for, under a leadership which actually respects competition and more importantly obeys the law. █
“Microsoft retaliated against industry participants that supported DR-DOS. For example, when Z-Nix Inc. bundled DR-DOS 6.0 and Microsoft Windows 3.1, proclaiming no incompatibilities, Microsoft’s Brad Silverberg wrote: “look what znix is doing! cut those fuckers off.” Within three weeks, Microsoft demanded an audit of Z-Nix’s entire business and then commenced a copyright and trademark infringement action. Z-Nix was forced to file for bankruptcy in or around 1995″
–Comes Petition [PDF]
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twitter said,
May 31, 2009 at 11:25 am
If M$ thinks they are punishing New Zealand, they are in for a rude surprise. There is no amount of money or jobs that the company could spend that make up for the costs of Windows. Punishment will only speed migration and the faster that happens, the faster M$ loses. Each new example of free software success is harder for M$ to conceal than the last. New Zealand’s punishment makes this loss more visible and repulses people who learn about it. Both results make free software more attractive.
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
May 31st, 2009 at 11:26 am
I’m not sure it’s a punishment. I did not make the correlation.