Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest software developer, has announced a 40 per cent reduction in the cost of its Home & Student version of Microsoft Office 2007.
The cost cut, the company said in a statement released last week, was to provide affordable access to ICTs in poor and developing countries like Uganda.
According to Ian Joule, the Microsoft channel manager for East and Southern Africa (ESA), the price reduction is “in line with the mission of Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential programme,” which aims to make technology more accessible to those at the middle and bottom of the world’s economic pyramid.
For people in countries like Uganda, Kenyan and similar others, Joule said, the special price offering for Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student will enable more users to access tools that will help them work more productively and accomplish more when it comes to developing presentations, assignments and everyday documents.
This, for example, includes the provision of software grants to educational and non-government institutions and technology training.
David Ndungu Microsoft ESA’s marketing manager says the company is also working with its partners to ensure that genuine Microsoft Office software is available wherever PCs are sold.
“Collectively, we are increasing the amount of product availability in emerging markets, expanding the number of resellers, and improving the in-store experience for consumers with innovative and compelling ways to showcase the many benefits of genuine Microsoft Office product,” he says.
Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student, according to Mr Ndungu, is the most cost-effective Office suite, designed especially for the needs of students and home users – allowing easier and more efficient ways to work together and deliver professional documents and presentations of many kinds.
