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Story: Microsoft wins £500m NHS contract

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Samuel, basing your hopes on the sales stories of the commercially motivated is one sure way to end up very disappointed and with not enough budget left to break out of the lock. Really, the so called vaporware is easy to sell. When dealing with commercial parties be sure that they demonstrate life and realisticly with what they have right now.

That most use Microsoft is not a motivation. Most used to smoke, drive without seatbelts, drive drunk, etc. Because of whatever. The question is: what has to happen before you'll call it quits? If you can't answer that (or don't live up to it) then we can safely say that you're addicted. And addicition does cloud sound judgement capabilities.

As for your x-ray example. I think they should fire on the spot any manager that approved x-ray equipment that can only use certain Microsoft products in only electronic ways to make x-rays available. Because in my view such a manager would be the real cause of putting human lives in danger. Simply because whatever you use and whatever you do things will go wrong sometime. So have fall-back procedures in place and know that natures proven answer to unexpected disasters (big and small) is diversity. Yes, it'll cost extra budget to achieve the right mix (which will differ per industry, per company, per moment in time) between being prepared for anything and staying cost efficient but a manager who can't explain that to the brass should be replaced by a manager that can.

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