This sounds a lot like what I (at least intended to have) replied during this way back in time seminar/discussion.

As a general observation the [by simon] selected quotes from Mr. Sharp make me think heavily about patronizing (neo-)colonists declaring 'doing it for the welfare of those poor colonised people'. (Yeah, I remember talking to some over in .za during the last holiday)

Uh: The biggest surprise is where and how these ex-colonising goverments suddenly found themselves trapped in? (us belgians had our 'experience' over in Congo, ha! another surprise from that little country!)

In any case there is quite some way to go, even if I see that some parties over here have been putting oss on the agenda as a logical choice for goverments. If not as a cheaper solution, then at least as way to build up some public domain (we don't even have the legal notion of such thing over here currently) as an extra return to the tax-paying community (rather then to some distant private company)

And rest assured: this will only be positive for Microsoft: Imagine the enormous motivational boost over in Redmond when finding out their products being bought out of true appreciation, and not merely out of the negative observation one can't do without...