Spreadsheets just got more expensive
May 16, 2008 by Shane BorerPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest news & views, Technology
If your staffers rely on Excel — and let’s face it, most do — watch out: Bill Gates has a sure-fire plan to balloon Finance’s tech spending.
Usually, a department that uses Microsoft Office spreadsheets buys a one-time license for the program for every computer or workstation it’s on. The only time a company would have to pay again is if new systems were installed or the company chose to upgrade to the latest version of the software.
But Microsoft recently started testing a new method of selling its Finance-friendly software. Code-named “Albany,” the system allows users to download and install the Office software suite on a subscription basis. Instead of being able to purchase individual programs — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. — this subscription test requires users to pay for every program, even if Finance only needs one or two.
Also, the program includes versions of Windows Live OneCare (Microsoft’s Web-based security program), as well as Office Live Workspace and Windows Live Mail.
For Finance, the Albany system is a double whammy. Many of the programs lumped into the subscription service are either unneeded or inefficient. Features like Windows Live Mail and OneCare may be useful for very small businesses, but most companies already have a mail system and security measures installed on machines. Excel’s what you want, but you’d essentially be paying a monthly fee for a bundle of programs Finance may not need.
And there’s a hidden efficiency killer in the subscription model: Since all updates would be downloaded monthly from Microsoft, the Albany system would require companies to update to the latest version of a program available. Your department might still be using an older version of Excel — or resisting the move to Windows Vista — but a subscription service means when there’s an update, your company will have to adjust to it.
The Albany service is still in a testing phase, but don’t be surprised to see this budget-buster popping up when it’s time for your company to upgrade its systems.
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Tags: Excel, Microsoft, Software, Subscription
May 19th, 2008 at 11:49 am
If this is the direction that Microsoft is headed, then I think Finance dept’s need to consider Open Office from http://www.Openoffice.org which is FREE and is available for multiple platforms. The only reason Microsoft can think that they can “get away” with this is if they think that they are the only game in town. They aren’t!
Karen
May 19th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Openoffice is the way to go. I have a number of customers using it with no issues. Now that the OpenXML translator is available Openoffice now supports opening and saving OpenXML-formatted word processing documents (.docx), spreadsheet documents (.xslx) and slideshow documents (.pptx) in OpenOffice.org.
Take the money that you would have been forced to pay Microsoft and invest it in Openoffice training. It will be money better spent.
Steve.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
While Microsoft may be wanting their share of the web access type business sales, don’t do it with finance. Myself, I can just as easily move to the OpenOffice.org formats.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Indeed. Just dump MS Office and use Open Office OR another excellent alternative: Softmaker Office (www.softmaker.de). Softmaker is even better than Open Office. It costs a one time $80 but that’s it. It’s yours, it can convert to/from MS Office formats and is WAY faster.
And there’s no Gates tax involved.
The world would really be a better place if Microsoft had never come into existance.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
The world would be better off?….
What about the billions that the Gates foundation has invested in world health? More than most countries! What about the 10’s of thousands of MS employees? What about bringing low cost, easy to use computers to homes around the world? Like it or not, Microsoft has done more to make computing accessible than any other company. It’s true – they’ve made many mistakes, but to say that the world would have been better off without them is a bit harsh.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I won’t comment on the Gates foundation. Way too off topic. As far a “easy to use computers”. The way MS has delivered “easy to use computers” has resulted in tens of thousands of viruses and trojans infecting hundreds of thousands if not millions of computers world wide. Computers are tools. Users should learn how to properly use and maintain their tools. Easy to use operating systems don’t have to be vectors for infection. Mac and many Linux distributions demonstrate that on a grand scale. Overall, the Microsoft monopoly has had very negative impacts on their users and customers. Expensive impacts. This effort to create another Microsoft tax is just an example of the monopoly trying to hold on to it grasp.