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Microsoft's Bill Gates to meet with Jacques Chirac, sign Dassault deal Wednesday
Agence France Presse ^ | November 16, 2004

Posted on 11/16/2004 1:09:57 PM PST by Shermy

PARIS (AFP) - Microsoft chairman Bill Gates will meet with French President Jacques Chirac here Wednesday during a visit to France to defend his company's software against competition from Linux and other free Internet-based software.

Gates will also sign a cooperation deal with Dassault Systemes, the French maker of software for designing and operating industrial products in the French capital, the two companies said.

The chairman and founder of the world's leading software maker will begin the day by addressing a conference on electronic administration where more than a hundred public decision-makers of the national and local governments, the Social Security system and the health sector were expected to attend, Microsoft France announced.

The US software giant has campaigned hard in recent months to convince administrations to continue using its products, in the face of a small but growing trend to switch to Linux and other open-code software.

The management of subsidiary Microsoft France, for example, has worked vigorously to prevent the loss of business from the city of Paris, which is planning a progressive switch of 17,000 of its computer posts to free software.

Gates next will visit the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, where he is to sign with UNESCO director general Koichiro Matsuura a cooperation accord aimed at reducing the "digital divide" between rich and poor countries.

A joint news conference is scheduled at 11:30 am (1030 GMT).

Later, Gates and Dassault Systemes director general will sign a strategic agreement ahead of a news conference at 1:15 pm.

The Microsoft chief is to meet with Chirac at the presidential Elysee palace at 4:30 pm.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chiraq
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1 posted on 11/16/2004 1:09:57 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Grampa Dave; Mitchell; okie01

Ping.


2 posted on 11/16/2004 1:10:30 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Shermy

Shaking with one hand and passing the bribe with the other.


3 posted on 11/16/2004 1:11:22 PM PST by bmwcyle (I wear sleepwear therefore I think (When they are off I am single minded))
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To: Shermy

FYI: Gates was a big supporter of both Clinton and Gore.


4 posted on 11/16/2004 1:11:55 PM PST by bushisdamanin04
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To: Shermy

Just tell Chirac how much Microsoft hates Bush and how much Linux loves Bush and Chirac will ban Linux.


5 posted on 11/16/2004 1:13:00 PM PST by Always Right
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To: Shermy
The Microsoft chief is to meet with Chirac at the presidential Elysee palace at 4:30 pm.

Does this have anything to do with France's "Software for Whine and Cheese Program"?

6 posted on 11/16/2004 1:14:33 PM PST by auboy (Dishonesty is NOT a virtue.)
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To: Shermy
Dassault Systemes is a (sniff!) very aggressive name, and so un-French.
The French may have tried to come up with a better name, but I suppose in the end, they just gave up.
Gates is cooperating with Dassault now, but will he take it over? It's a French company now, but they may end up surrending that status eventually.
7 posted on 11/16/2004 1:15:06 PM PST by ClearCase_guy (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
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To: Shermy

Trying to buy off the EU, is he?


8 posted on 11/16/2004 1:15:30 PM PST by mewzilla
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To: mewzilla

Yep.


9 posted on 11/16/2004 1:16:03 PM PST by Shermy
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To: ClearCase_guy

The full product name is D'assault Ivory Coast System.


10 posted on 11/16/2004 1:17:11 PM PST by nancetx (Not afraid to be politically incorrect)
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To: Shermy

11 posted on 11/16/2004 1:20:13 PM PST by Fatalis
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To: nancetx

I thought it was D'assault and B'attery.


12 posted on 11/16/2004 1:22:39 PM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: Izzy Dunne

LOL Izzy


13 posted on 11/16/2004 1:23:48 PM PST by nancetx (Not afraid to be politically incorrect)
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To: Shermy

linux-fanatic-Gates-bash alert?


14 posted on 11/16/2004 1:24:28 PM PST by the invisib1e hand (if a man lives long enough, he gets to see the same thing over and over.)
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To: bushisdamanin04

I think he WAS a supporter until the xlintoon justice department came after him.

either that or he became a support to get them off his back


15 posted on 11/16/2004 1:27:49 PM PST by Mr. K
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To: Shermy

16 posted on 11/16/2004 1:29:58 PM PST by South40 (Amnesty for ILLEGALS is a slap in the face to the USBP!)
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To: Shermy
Microsoft and CATIA? Wow. I can't decide which company would have the worse influence on the other.

Designing a plane with some horribly annoying paper-clip dude giving you suggestions will be perfectly great.

Are you sure you want to place a longeron their? Yes No Cancel

It looks like your designing a fighter jet. Would you like a canard? Yes No Cancel

Your unmanned attack drone does not have a lavatory. Would you like to add a lavatory now? Yes No Cancel

Fan-frenchen-tastic!!!!
17 posted on 11/16/2004 1:29:58 PM PST by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: Shermy

18 posted on 11/16/2004 1:30:51 PM PST by KoRn
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To: KoRn

19 posted on 11/16/2004 1:33:24 PM PST by South40 (Amnesty for ILLEGALS is a slap in the face to the USBP!)
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To: KoRn

phear the penguin! :-)


20 posted on 11/16/2004 1:38:47 PM PST by William of Orange (Netherlands, undefeated in wars against France)
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