Church Package: Devil in the Details

Whoa, is it the wrath of God or Gates?
Long Zheng blogged about Microsoft's "Holy SKU." It's just too funny, and yet prophetic: Microsoft has got one of the most diversified channels on the planet—and that's a good thing. Strong channel is one of the legacies Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will leave behind.

"Microsoft Church Package" is a great example of Microsoft's channel at work. Where else could you find a bunch of products from the same company packaged together for the clergy, other than Microsoft's channel or from South Korea? Last time I checked, the world's largest Christian church is in South Korea.

The "Church Package" is loaded up with plenty of productivity apps for drafting and delivering fire-and-brimstone sermons from the pulpit: Expression Web, Office Standard, OneNote, Publisher and Visio. In my experience, ministers do well with just PowerPoint.

I do wonder about the ridiculously low pricing. Do God's people get better pricing than you or me? Well, God certainly might have some advantages negotiating licensing pricing with Microsoft. This entire package sells for 199,000 Won, or about $190 U.S.

Couple years back, my wife took a couple Korean classes at the Korean Embassy in Washington. D.C. I wondered if maybe the pricing was for upgrades—still one hell of a heavenly deal—but she couldn't translate the sales copy.

Microsoft Church Package looks like a short-term promotional, ending June 30. Maybe God and Gates cut a good deal. But $190? Surely, nobody would be so bold as to advertise pirated software, would they? And sold to churches? I'm not suggesting piracy, just asking about it. But, hypothetically, if pirated, watch out! I'd worry more about the wrath of Gates than the wrath of God.