The new offer will see CDs bundling popular applications from various software makers sold at affordable prices, according to a report in the Bangkok Post. Microsoft, while agreeing to take part, has not yet committed to a deal to provide software at a discount.
Besides offering buyers a chance at legal software in a market dominated by pirated versions, the ministry also hopes the scheme will also offer local software developers a chance to earn a living.
Crucially, the software will be made available in the Thai language. Previously, major software packages, including key versions of Microsoft Windows and Office, were not available in Thai.
The Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) ministry has asked the Association of Thai Software Industry (ATSI) to propose the details and has also offered funding, said the report.
ATSI has defined three types of bundles. These are education, SME management and custom software for specific industries, such as for the garment trade.
ATSI president Anukul Tamprasirt told the Post that Microsoft would be involved, but only in an advisory role for now. The firm has not proposed reducing their software prices for the project yet, he added. IT giant IBM and database software maker Oracle have also been approached to take part in the scheme.
"We are working with ATSI on cooperating,'' said Andrew McBean, Microsoft's managing director in Thailand told the Post.
The first disc, aimed at students, will be launched this month and will comprise computer-aided instruction (CAI) software, edutainment, games and utilities such as software for personal contact management, said the report.
In June, Microsoft slashed prices on Windows XP and Office to join the Thai government's 'people's PC' project. The firm offered a bundle containing Windows XP and its Office suite to PC buyers for a mere 1,490 baht (US$35.80).
For the ICT deal, the firm also created special Thai-language versions of the Office productivity suite and the Windows operating system. Observers say that Microsoft was pushed into the deal by the prospect of a huge increase in the number of Linux-equipped desktops in Thailand that would arise through the low-cost PC scheme, though the firm denies this.
Gartner analyst Dion Wiggins has predicted that as a result of the Thai venture and as more Asian governments realize that Microsoft is willing to cut prices if its hand were forced, the Redmond giant may soon break with tradition to offer the same software at different prices in different parts of the world.
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