Microsoft in Tunisia

In 2006 Microsoft and the Government of Tunisia began a business relationship under President Ben Ali. Under this deal Microsoft agreed to provide the former Tunisian Government with IT Training, Cyber security, and access to Microsoft proprietary source code in return for buying 12,000 licensed MS software and turn around a government that was adopting open source practices for over five years. This issue was first highlighted by the Wikileaks cables released in September, 2011. However, the original cable was sent from the Tunisian US Embassy on the 22nd of September 2006.
History
With a shrinking sales market that has more or less peaked within the developed nations by the end of 2005, Microsoft was in search for new markets, and emerging markets were the most lucrative of all. In the North African region, the biggest challenge identified was piracy. To tackle this, Microsoft needed government support and intervention. However, the Tunisian government in this case was clearly not interested and had been following open source initiatives since 2001, and using pirated copies of Microsoft Windows within the government departments itself. The exact details of the deal were then unclear, however in September that same year, the Director of Microsoft Tunisia Salwa Smaoui highlighted the main services that would be provided to the government of Tunisia at a meeting with the American Embassy's Economic Officers. The following were the final agreed on services:
* Work on GOT's e-governance,
* Cooperation with Cyber Security,
* Cooperation with Property Rights,
* Capacity development for Tunisian IT programs.
The deal ultimately lead to the sale of 12,000 licensed software to a government that previously was not only using pirated copies of MS Windows, but had also initiated open source practices since 2001. The relevant wikileaks document stated that "Additionally, future Government of Tunisia tenders for IT equipment will specify that the equipment must be Microsoft compatible, which is currently prohibited by the Tunisian open software policy.". The Association focuses on helping secure employment for the disabled. The Microsoft deal was therefore engineered to meet the first lady's private affairs and interests and hence influence the decision of the Government of Tunisia.
Cyber security
"Through a program on cyber criminality, Microsoft will train government officials in the Ministries of Justice and Interior on how to use computers and the internet to fight crime." reported the US Embassy.<ref name="cablegatesearch1"/>
Outcome for Microsoft
For Microsoft this was mostly about their fight against piracy and enlisting a potentially large and continuing partner. In addition, it was an important chip in the fight against open source software in a market that is largely pro open-source.<ref name="north-africa1"/> Getting the government on the right side of debate would further enable the dominance of proprietary software. "The country’s retirement administration Caisse Nationale de Retraite et de Prévoyance Sociale (CNRPS) and power and utility monopoly STEG, are among the many other companies have deployed open source software arguing that it not only saves them in terms of cost but provides a different value proposition than proprietary software".
Microsoft was expected to retain a total of TND 7.8 Million (then USD ~7.5 Million) in 2009 from the software used by the various administrations and ministries. The biggest being the Ministry of Higher Education,<ref name="north-africa1"/> a very important player in determining the shape of the future market.

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