ASPs, an emerging group in the outsourcing market, supply users with access to applications such as Office over the Internet. Outsourcing applications reduces deployment cost and time. Microsoft's goal is to provide users with a consistent Internet licensing policy across its product line. That doesn't necessarily mean the cost of its applications will drop.
Many users disagree with that assessment.
Microsoft has been under criticism over some of its pricing models since last fall, when it dropped concurrent licensing, which enables users to share software licenses on a network. Edwards uses Citrix Inc.'s WinFrame and MetaFrame software on seven four-chip Pentium Pro servers, each of which can handle about 60 simultaneous users. UltimateTV Digital video recording service from Microsoft.