Nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft (just sued)

The Quebec government illegally paid Microsoft $720,000 since 2006 for the migration of 800 workstations to Microsoft software. According to the laws they were required to perform a thorough and documented search for alternatives if the cost of any expenditures exceeds $25,000. I heard about this case a while ago myself and I am really surprised at the results, I assumed Microsoft would get away with it just like every other illegal thing they get away with. Unfortunately for the Quebec government, people care and don’t want their hard earned tax dollars going to a foreign monopolist.

The Quebec governments reasoning behind not obeying the law (serious and documented search for alternatives)? Their employees were already familiar with the software. Vista in 2006? Familiar with it? How is this? It had just been released. Government workers aren’t the brainiest of the bunch either, I doubt they were familiar with any of it at all. In fact the purchase of Vista and Office 2007 were upgrades, each requiring new training (these are government employees after all).

Unfortunately the Judge wouldn’t reverse the purchase so nothing is really being done about it. At least it can be confirmed – Quebec broke the law by buying from Microsoft.

Quebec’s government broke the law by buying software from Microsoft without considering offers from other vendors, the province’s Superior Court has ruled.

Source: CBC