"It's easier for our software to compete with Linux when there's piracy than when there's not."

--Bill Gates

Summary: Microsoft spreads lies about the role of counterfeiting and thereby attempts to capture Nigerian ICT; A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abu Dhabi blocks Microsoft competitors from ICT

Microsoft has taken its crocodile tears campaign up another notch. It's all about lies and spin. At the beginning of this month we wrote about what Microsoft was doing Nigeria and now we find the "rich uncles from Redmond" summoning the 'piracy' propaganda yet again. It's all about ICT, which Microsoft wants to absolutely dominate in Nigeria under the guise of "defense" (from so-called 'pirates', a phantom enemy).

Microsoft, one of the world’s largest software providers has launched a new operating system (Windows 7), saying Nigeria is one of the major countries of the world where the level of piracy is a threat to the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

Meanwhile we learn that Microsoft has just captured ICT in the United Arab Emirates. Further east in Abu Dhabi we find the following new reports:

i. Abu Dhabi's ICT arm inks deal with Microsoft

The Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre, the ICT arm of the Abu Dhabi government, has signed a master business and services agreement agreement with Microsoft Gulf to enable the emirate's local government affiliates to purchase Microsoft licenses and engage Microsoft Consultancy Services.

ii. Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre signs master business and services agreement and MoU with Microsoft Gulf

The MBSA agreement together with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft Gulf were signed by H.E. Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director General, ADSIC and Charbel Fakhoury, Regional General Manager, Microsoft Gulf and witnessed by Linda Zecher, Global Vice President, for Microsoft's Public Sector business.

This marks a continuation of policies which Bill Gates secured in its trip to Dubai, leading to yet another MoU -- a contractual scam that we wrote about and sometimes properly explained in:

• Will Microsoft Sign an MOU with Indonesia?
• Urgent Need for Transparency in Procurement, Standards-Setting Process
• Does Microsoft Use Extortion to Sign MOUs?
• Microsoft Dealt Another Big Blow in Europe (UK), Pawns Exposed Further
• The Ukraine's GNU/Linux Ambitions and Microsoft's MOU Response

Here is a leaked presentation from Microsoft. It explains how an MoU works and what its purpose really is. ⬆