Are software prices too high in our country? In order to answer this question, we will have to approach the question from another perspective: who is buying the software?
If we are talking about the corporate sector and large organisations, I would then say that the current software prices are justified. The justification lies in the 'invisible benefits', which is the increase in office productivity and greater computer literacy amoing employees.
A few software companies have even provided special corporate schemes for organisations purchasing large quantities of software.
Buyers who are constantly thinking of the three or four-digit prices they have to pay in order to obtain the software should put themselves in the developers' shoes. Just think of the time and effort it takes to plan, design and test a software package; then buyers will find the pricing of software for organisations is relatively low! Better quality and reasonably priced software are constantly produced due to the intense competition between the software developers.
However, if we are looking from the home-user's perspective, I would then agree that software prices are too high. Just think that a Windows application suite software will cost at least RM 900.
If software developers are able to formulate an innovative scheme which will enable home-users to purchase original software at reduced rates under special agreements, along with the establishment of home user-groups for the software purchase, then software piracy will be greatly reduced.
Al Juan Rusli