LAST year we pointed out very briefly that Directions on Microsoft calls itself "INDEPENDENT" (yes, they use all caps) even though its entire business is based on Microsoft. Now comes the time for Paul DeGroot et al. to give a promotional Microsoft seminar (their Microsoft seminars are scheduled every now and then) and Mary Jo Foley helps DeGroot by drawing attention to it all (she is also complementary to Microsoft's business). This time it's about "cut[ting] a carrot from its Software Assurance licensing plan", which is Microsoft's way of squeezing a lot of money out of corporations and have them obliged (locked in) for a long time to come. Microsoft could sure use these services from Directions on Microsoft, especially now that it's cutting expenses by laying people off and replacing some of them with cheaper labour. ⬆

--Barbarians Led by Bill Gates, a book composed
by the daughter of Microsoft's Pam Edstrom