Microsoft slashes licensing, software fees for iCafe sector

CEBU, Philippines - In its effort to sustain the Internet Café industry (iCafe) in the Philippines, Microsoft Philippines has rolled out the lowest priced software products and licensing for the first time in history.

Microsoft Philippines Inc. License Compliance Manager Fortune Abelo-Magsadia announced to at least 130 iCafe owners the Microsoft’s industry strengthening efforts through its Microsoft iCafe Program.

“In the past eight years, Internet Café owners had been asking for best price. To help them with their businesses we introduced this program designed for the industry, with affordable software and licensing prices,” Magsadia said in an interview.

The iCafé program is Microsoft's response to one of Internet café customers' unmet needs: secure a dependable computing experience in a shared PC space.

Like Internet cafés, Microsoft aims to give more underserved Filipinos access to technology.

“Microsoft wants to forge a partnership with Internet cafés to achieve its shared purpose of empowering more Filipinos with technology, especially those who cannot afford to own a PC,” she said.

Microsoft offers secure and dependable computing in licensing packages that are relevant and affordable for Internet café owners who are looking to serve their customers better and expand their business, she stressed.

As an introduction to the program, Microsoft announced the major slash of Windows 7 (Operating Software) from P9,000 to P2,000 (plus) until May of this year.

Microsoft Office on the other hand, is now pegged at P999 including rental rights fee.

The Billgates-owned company has picked Cebu as its pilot area for the national launching of this program.

“There are a lot of benefits that an iCafe can take advantage of, once they will enroll in the program,” Magsadia said.

Aside from slashed prices, the program offers value added services for free, such as billing and metering tools, PC help tools, among others.

“We are trying to provide them [iCafe owners] value added services and products,” she explained.

This effort is part of Microsoft’s bid to help iCafe industry to operate in legitimate business, meaning employing licensed software, and grow their businesses, at the same time helping the rest of Filipino people to have easy and affordable access to the world-wide-web.

Because of bottleneck competition, the iCafe industry in the Philippines is now struggling and is now in the “survival of the fittest” mode. Getting help from the major infrastructure provider, like Microsoft, is a big help for the industry.

In an earlier interview with one of the largest players in the Internet Café industry in Cebu Francis Lim, he said that profit in Internet Café business is shrinking.

With the seemingly saturated market for Internet Cafes that becomes like a Sari-Sari store, that one can find an Internet Café in every corner Lim said the battle in the industry now is providing value-added services, while renting charges have dropped significantly over the years.

While a lot of Internet Café businesses have folded up in the last few years, because of tough competition, Lim said others are thriving, as they have continuously invested on sustainable measures like software and hardware upgrade, and providing conducive ambiance both for gamers, and web browsers.   (FREEMAN NEWS)