Microsoft will be charging aged care services more for licences

Microsoft Australia is reviewing the appropriateness of current usage of ‘academic’ software licenses – which provide for concessional pricing for software – which have been used by aged care facilities. Aged care providers had sought clarification from Microsoft and had advised them of the negative impacts on the growth of IT in aged care that would result from an overly harsh policy.

Microsoft has advised the Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council that:

– It intends to issue a clear position regarding the eligibility for such concessional pricing, which is almost certain to be restricted to charities, and to issue this by the end of this year.
– It has undertaken to stop its current program of software audits pending the issuing of its new criteria.
– It has asked for any instances where aged care providers are still being audited pending the new criteria being finalised and promulgated.

Microsoft has also referred to a transition framework including offsets for aged care services that may be adversely affected.