The biggest came from Microsoft on Friday last week with the announcement, during the opening of Parliament, that the company plans to offer free software to 32 000 schools in SA. The statement, made by president Thabo Mbeki during a diversion from his planned State of the Nation address, apparently took local Microsoft representatives a little off guard and they quickly issued a press release later that afternoon confirming the offer.

Earlier in the week, much debate was stirred up by a document released by the National Advisory Council on Innovation (Naci), advocating the use of open standards and open source software throughout government structures. The Naci advisory to the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology was a strongly-worded attack on proprietary software which the paper said would undermine the development of local skills.

The advisory also warned that the use of proprietary software would make the country "dependent on foreign companies for much of our technological requirements, [and] hostage to currency fluctuations".

Mbeki's announcement flies in the face of this warning, as well as other ongoing projects such as Gauteng Online, which is in the process of evaluating potential models for rolling out computer systems to all of the 2 500 schools in Gauteng. Many of the consortiums taking part in the pilot project are offering models that do not require Microsoft software.

Confirming the offer of free software, Mark Hill, MD of Microsoft Sub-Saharan Africa, said: "For many years Microsoft South Africa has invested in youth and education-related programmes, and we believe that if you provide people with the resources they need, they will accomplish great things. We are convinced of the power of IT as the greatest enabler in developing social and economic well-being and we urge all technology players to join us in empowering the youth of SA and shaping the country's future."

Free Microsoft software to schools is an issue that has raised much criticism from international organisations that see it as an opportunity for the multinational to extend its already significant grip on the world of computing. When Microsoft made similar offers in the US as part of a settlement in the company's ongoing anti-trust case, critics were quick to respond.

Edward Black, president and chief executive of the US-based Computer and Communications Association, said in an interview in late November that the offer would give the corporation the opportunity to extend its already monopolistic hold over the market.

"By allowing Microsoft to flood the education market with free software - at virtually no cost to the company - the court will be virtually assuring that no other competitor will be able to charge for its products," he said. "The foreclosure of this market to competition and consumer choice will only facilitate the continuation of Microsoft's unlawful monopolistic strategy."

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