Re: [PLUG] Microsoft Run High School?

["William H. Magill" <magill@mcgillsociety.org>]

On Friday, September 5, 2003, at 11:24 AM, Adam Turoff wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 05, 2003 at 09:48:50AM -0400, Chris Mann wrote:
> > http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/6691478.htm
>
> I don't know.  It's a lot less half baked than some of the other ideas
> that have come from 21st Street.  (Anyone remember Parkway HS?)
>
> It's clearly an experiment.  And it's on Microsoft's dime -- if not in
> monetary contributions, then in materials and staff time (training, 
> on-site
> support).  I'd rather see Microsoft spend the money and show that PDAs,
> WiFi and Tablet PCs don't let students learn more.

Microsoft spends no dollars on these deals. They are "in-kind" 
contributions.

Microsoft (and other vendors who do this kind of thing as well) claim 
"list price" for goods and services provided "at cost." Were it not for 
the fact that the intent in Microsoft's case is purely PR, one could 
assume that the entire deal was structured for its tax benefit.

The end result is that Microsoft spends a couple of hundred thousand in 
salary money for Microsoft employees assigned to the school; and claims 
several million dollars in "benefits" to the press and the IRS.

The School Board has to pay for all of the wiring and infrastructure 
out of its pocket. It may get some "discounts" from various other 
partners, but they are probably no larger than they would have gotten 
if they had put out an RFP on their own.

The primary thing which the School Board gets is the same thing they 
got from the University of Pennsylvania for the Penn-Alexander school 
-- free consulting. This is not an insignificant contribution, and it 
DOES allow the school board to bypass "lowest bidder" RFP issues. 
Microsoft will provide a list of "compatible" products and services 
from other vendors, like cisco or Belkin or whoever, that have been 
"certified" as "integrated" with Microsoft's vision.

All in all it is not a "bad deal." It is just a very one-sided deal. 
But if the actual "other option" were pursued, the RFPs would be 
pathetic for the simple reason that the School Board does not have the 
in-house expertise to properly evaluate their options.

Could they have put out an RFP for "consultants?" Yeah, but that is not 
how the world of  "Non-Profit" Gift Solicitation works. Sadly, 
"grantsmanship" is all about Who you know, not What you know.

T.T.F.N.
William H. Magill
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magill@mcgillsociety.org
magill@acm.org
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