Heard this interesting news from Vinod Unny -
Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in India can get loads of software (& hardware) from Microsoft and other vendors at very low prices. All they need to do is sign up with BiG Tech, the philanthropy program of NASCOMM Foundation and provide details of their NGO status.
Once they are approved, they can choose from a huge list of software and obtain them by simply paying an admin fee. For instance, Windows 7 Professional Upgrade is available under this scheme for Rs.325 while Windows Server 2008 Standard costs Rs.1024.
There are only a few restrictions on the number of times that an order can be placed and number of titles.
Facts about BiG Tech -
* Over 300 registered NGO's
* Number of products donated – 3188
* Value of software donated - over 4.2 crores
* Big Tech covers 138 districts in over 26 states across India
Also see:
Pay It Forward with Wikipedia