Microsoft has denied the accusation of paying a Nigerian contractor $40,000 in order to abandon Linux from the government sector. According to the regional manager for Microsoft West, East and Central Africa, Thomas Hansen:
As such, the joint marketing agreement became irrelevant; no such marketing agreement was ever agreed to, and no money was ever spent.
From our standpoint, those governments, and indeed every customer, should always decide which software solutions meet their needs most appropriately. We strongly believe that governments must carefully consider all costs of acquiring and using a PC, along with the benefits of widespread application availability, maintenance, and training.
