Microsoft: Africa doesn't need free software

You can give people free software, but they won’t have the expertise to use it, says Microsoft Nigeria’s manager

Microsoft has claimed the cost of software is not an important issue in the developing world.

In response to a question on the role of open source software in Africa, Gerald Ilukwe, the general manager of Microsoft Nigeria, said that cost is not important, even though he admitted that the average annual salary in the West African country is only $160 (?Ǭ£91).

“It’s easy to focus on cost and say how much is a product, but at the end of the day it’s the total impact that’s important. You can give people free software or computers, but they won’t have the expertise to use it,” he said. “Microsoft is not a helicopter dropping relief materials; we’re there in the field.”

Full story: ZDNet UK