Mandriva CEO Calls Out Microsoft's Ballmer

CadCrazy · 01-11-2007, 01:28 PM

On Tuesday, Mandriva announced that it had won a hotly-contested contract to install its Linux distribution on top of 17,000 Intel-powered Classmate PCs in Nigeria. On Wednesday, the Nigerian client told Mandriva that it would buy the Linux software as planned, but would rip it out and install Windows.

And so Mandriva took its dispute public.
In a blog posting, François Bancilhon, chief executive of Mandriva, posted an open letter to Steve Ballmer, not quite calling Microsoft's tactics dirty pool.
Bancilhon ended his letter by saying, "Wow! I'm impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their mind like this? It's pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone. How do you call what you just did Steve, in the place where you live? In my place, they give it various names, I'm sure you know them.

"Hey Steve, how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?" Bancilhon wrote.
"Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one," Bancilhon added. "You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too."
Microsoft officials were not immediately available for comment.

Source

din · 02-11-2007, 11:18 AM

Un-Ethical MS. Really sux.

If Nigerian Government decide to go for Win altering Lin, it will be a big mistake from their part. For countries like them Lin and Opensource are the best. Either the decision is due to un-ethical business of MS (may be they offered a large amount to the officials in Nigeria. If they can offer a lot of $$$ to someone in Kerala - to change his idea of installing open office in Banks - they wil sure offer lot of $$$ there, I am sure) or Nigerian Government do not know what they are doing !

azzu · 02-11-2007, 11:22 AM

^^
poore nigerian's wud hav been Benifited via Lin
cheap trick's by M$(gotta say $$ tricks)

sachin_kothari · 02-11-2007, 11:57 AM

Nigerians need money.
They might not care what are the benefits or loss of using Linux or Windows.

ray|raven · 02-11-2007, 12:01 PM

As unfair as it may seem,
the post does feel like a rant.
I'm not saying any one OS is better,
but if MS could convince the nigerians to buy their software then they made better marketing than Mandriva ,
Instead of ranting the Mandriva Guys should focus on improving their marketing skills if the want to beat the opposition.

In any field where money can be made,there will always be competition.
And it isnt justified to rant over ur opponent just cos u lost a deal.

Regards,
ray

azzu · 02-11-2007, 12:02 PM

^^ true Sachin

din · 02-11-2007, 12:09 PM

@rayraven

Marketing skills and Unethical business are two different terms. I am not sure whether MS paid them a lot of $$$ in this case, but I know they offered a lot of $$$ to a person I know very well - to prevent him from suggesting Open Office in Banks. That is really un-ethical. Even in business we should not do that.

ray|raven · 02-11-2007, 12:12 PM

Agreed din.
But we cannot argue that they paid the nigerians money to use XP,as long as we have no proof.
However , if they did pay money to make someone use their OS,
then there's nothing to talk about.
Not even MS is going to last long if it has to pay people to use their OS's

Regards,
ray