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Conference back40::soapbox

Title:Soapbox. Just Soapbox.
Notice:No more new notes
Moderator:WAHOO::LEVESQUEONS
Created:Thu Nov 17 1994
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:862
Total number of notes:339684

597.0. "IT'S A RAID! (Digital Offices across Europe raided)" by COVERT::COVERT (John R. Covert) Wed Nov 22 1995 12:19

    EU RAIDS DIGITAL'S OFFICES IN EUROPE IN ANTITRUST INQUIRY

    Digital Equipment offices in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands were
    yesterday raided by European Commission officials following complaints
    that the company's behaviour in the area of software maintenance is
    anti-competitive. Eric Herkins of Digital's legal department noted that
    the company was cooperating fully with the Commission. The EU is
    examining whether, as other companies have claimed, Digital has been
    abusing its market position and had been charging very much higher
    prices in Europe for certain services than it did in the US. There is
    speculation that the investigation could also take in practices
    associated with Digital's VMS operating system. 

    Wall Street Journal, Europe. 22nd November 1995
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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597.1Ver are your paperz???SOLVIT::KRAWIECKIif u cn rd ths, u nd to gt a lyfWed Nov 22 1995 12:221
    
597.2POLAR::RICHARDSONCPU CyclerWed Nov 22 1995 12:531
    Shzshzshow me your bazzzport pleaszszse.
597.3MKOTS3::JMARTINI press on toward the goalWed Nov 22 1995 12:5611
    You Sviiiiiiiiine!
    
    
    Sincerely,
    
    Zigfried from Get Smart...Created by Buck Henry and Mel Brooks for
    those sensitive types from Womannotes...then again the two creators
    were males but in all fairness Mel Brooks must have had some actresses
    who played authoritative roles in his movies...like Madelyn Kahn in
    History of the World Part 1...she also was casted quite well in Young
    Frankenstein. 
597.4COVERT::COVERTJohn R. CovertWed Nov 22 1995 13:528
Apparently it's illegal to have the following pricing scheme:

	Hardware maintenance $100
	Software maintenance $100

	Combined package     $175

???/john
597.5cockamamey ?GAAS::BRAUCHERWelcome to ParadiseWed Nov 22 1995 14:224
    
      The rules must be different in the EU.
    
      bb
597.6ACISS1::BATTISA few cards short of a full deckWed Nov 22 1995 14:252
    
    I think the Trilateral Commision is behind it.
597.8MKOTS3::JMARTINI press on toward the goalWed Nov 22 1995 14:591
    That's Socialism.  Get used to it you New World Order types!
597.10MKOTS3::JMARTINI press on toward the goalWed Nov 22 1995 17:584
    How is it justified?  The idea of free market is to be able to compete,
    trade, and knock the other guy out of business.
    
    -Jack
597.11SMURF::WALTERSWed Nov 22 1995 18:183
    
 Jeez Jack, I'm trying to make a case for humans over Apes here.
    
597.13COVERT::COVERTJohn R. CovertWed Nov 22 1995 20:125
Topic 4286 in HUMANE::DIGITAL has been write-locked at the request of Cary
Armistead of the corporate law department, and several replies have been set
hidden, due to the presumed possibility of increased legal risk to Digital.

/john
597.14AXPBIZ::WANNOORWed Nov 22 1995 22:3712
    
    yep, (sighhhhh)leave it to the lawyers..... I didn't have a chance to read
    those write-locked replies, but seriously, we are a threat to 
    ourselves, eh??
    
    I bet you other companies practise the so-called "anti-competitive"
    methods, in other shades, like threatening non-support should you,
    the customer, choose brand X. 
    
    Give Digital a break, y'know.  geez. Are they raiding microsoft
    and intel next. I mean there's a duopoly, if there's one.
    
597.15CBHVAX::CBHLager LoutThu Nov 23 1995 08:596
Most computer related stuff is much more expensive in Europe than in
the US, not just Digital.  MicroSnot springs to mind.  Interesting,
though, that Digital's overheads are probably lower as the salaries
are much less here than in the US.

Chris.
597.16POLAR::RICHARDSONCPU CyclerThu Nov 23 1995 11:371
    Yes, a box of overheads is quite expensive here now.
597.17COVERT::COVERTJohn R. CovertThu Nov 23 1995 13:369
Salaries may be lower in England; they are much higher in Germany.

In addition, in Germany most employees are herded out the door by the
union leaders, forbidden to come in to work on weekends by law, and
also not permitted to do work at home in the evening or weekends.

And then there are the much higher taxes in Europe.

/john
597.18POLAR::RICHARDSONCPU CyclerThu Nov 23 1995 13:451
    What's the minimun amount of vacation in Germany? 6 weeks?
597.19COVERT::COVERTJohn R. CovertThu Nov 23 1995 13:495
Yes, and because Digital has a 40-hour work-week rather than the 37.5 legal
work week, Digital employees there get over 9 weeks of vacation each year,
in addition to about fifteen public holidays.

/john
597.20POLAR::RICHARDSONCPU CyclerThu Nov 23 1995 14:003
    9 weeks is the minimum for Holland from what I understand.
    
    9 weeks. Lots of time for hobbies, like brewing beer.
597.21ACISS1::BATTISA few cards short of a full deckMon Nov 27 1995 14:102
    
    gee when do they find the time to work.
597.22<KERNEL::PLANTCThe Circle is now complete!Mon Nov 27 1995 14:299
    
    
    
    9 weeks??
    
    well for 5 yrs service , its 5 weeks in the UK
    
    Chris
    :)
597.23CBHVAX::CBHLager LoutMon Nov 27 1995 14:355
>    well for 5 yrs service , its 5 weeks in the UK
    
I still have 2 or 3 weeks to take before the end of the year...

Chris.
597.24KERNEL::PLANTCThe Circle is now complete!Mon Nov 27 1995 14:593
    
    
    Lucky duck!!
597.25CBHVAX::CBHLager LoutMon Nov 27 1995 15:075
>    Lucky duck!!

oo-er, missus.  Anyway, not really, I'll probably lose half of them.

Chris.