[colibri] [Fwd: Microsoft offers free software to start-ups]

[Fabian Rodriguez]

Hay que moverse... rápido.

-------- Original Message --------

5:32PM, Wednesday 5th November 2008
  Microsoft is offering software start-ups free software for three 
years, *as it moves to counter the growing threat of open source*.

The program, dubbed BizSpark, targets early stage start-ups which have 
been operating for less than three years and have revenues under $1 million.

Companies have to be recommended through a Microsoft partner 
<http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/234681/microsoft-offers-free-software-to-startups.html#>, 
but once in they're granted access to technology such as SQL Server 
Enterprise and Windows Server 2008, as well as free marketing and 
technical support.

Once the three years end these businesses will either be able to switch 
to other software, or sign up to a Microsoft licensing program to 
continue using the technology.

The benefits for Microsoft are obvious. It allows the Redmond giant to 
lock companies into its software early, creating new customers when the 
three-year period ends.

BizSpark also reduces the threat that new companies will follow the 
increasingly attractive open-source option.

"The cost of software is a significant investment even for a 
well-established company... a program like this erases the biggest 
barrier between a true enterprise software suite like Microsoft offers, 
versus an open source or other technology," says Nick Ganju, CTO of 
ZocDoc, one of the start-ups rolled out by Microsoft at the launc