'Enforcement only if Education fails'- this new approach by Microsoft over its highly criticized Original Software Initiative (OSI) will perhaps appease Microsoft resellers and encourage associations to work in tandem with the software giant.

This campaign to curb piracy adds new dimensions with Microsoft taking a cordial and integrated approach towards its channel partners, revisiting the pricing strategies and resorting to enforcement only when everything else fails.

"We sell 100 percent through the channels and they are very important to us. Taking the OSI to a new level, we intend to work closely with the PC Associations across India and let them drive the channel sell original and enforce only as the final resort," said Brian Campbell, Director, Original Software Initiative, Microsoft.

Channel partners have been complaining about the software giant being too harsh on the resellers than the customers and have been subject to random piracy raids and have been slapped heavy penalties. Brian said, "We are yet to lose a single case where we have pulled up a partner on piracy charges," and further added that the primary reason for going aggressive with the OSI campaign is because genuine, authorized resellers are suffering.

Brian Campbell in this exclusive video interview with Channelstech2 elucidates the objective behind the OSI, Microsoft's intention of working with the associations and its stance on enforcements and raids, if the channel or consumers fail to adhere to the 'law of the land'…

Microsoft plans to revisit its pricing strategy and modules, however, Brian added, "Pricing is not the main reason for piracy, but availability of software is the primary reason." This apart, Microsoft is also planning to invest substantially in educating the end users and roll out channel schemes and incentives to promote the sale of original software in September 2007. "We will continue to educate first, but if it fails we will definitely resort to enforcements," concludes Campbell.