09.06.10
Qatar Hands the Keys Over to Microsoft With a New MOU
Summary: Microsoft has managed to find the people who will sign off a virtual takeover of key developmental areas in Qatar; Kuwait too becomes victim of Microsoft PR
EARLIER THIS year we gave examples from Qatar where Microsoft exploits the authorities [1, 2] to make the population dependent on Microsoft (or turning people into Microsoft customers at a very young age, with state support). Techrights is particularly concerned when any government — not private businesses in the Gulf (new example here) — chooses to use taxpayers money to make Microsoft’s monopoly stronger. Basic responsibility for the public is simply not obeyed under such circumstances.
Qatar has just fallen for another MOU scam and this was announced in a press release, not just the press in the Gulf.
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and Microsoft signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a press conference in Doha, Qatar. The MoU was signed between Executive Director of Operations, Qatar Foundation Mr. Khalid Al-Sulaiteen and Mr. Mohammad Hammoudi, Country Manager for Microsoft Qatar.
They call it “tech boost” but it’s not at all clear that Microsoft is about “tech” or about “boost”. It’s about a private franchise and about subordination.
Watch this splendid PR move where Microsoft is using Ramadan to boost .NET through tax-funded education systems:
“Ramadan Kareem and we would like to thank everyone for attending this special occasion,” said Ehab Mostafa, Country Manager, Microsoft Kuwait. “Microsoft has a long-term commitment to work in partnership with governments and non-governmental organizations, to enhance local community programs, help improve technology access and put Kuwaiti schools/education as the forefront of 21st century learning practices.
Can they say this with a straight face? Anyway, there is more news coming from Kuwait this year because the low quality, not just the price of Microsoft software, is taking its toll and ripoffs are sometimes ended by GNU/Linux [1, 2, 3, 4]. █
