It's a question with connotations far beyond the words, but it is, nonetheless, the question I was asked today when I provided a client with a price to renew the anti-virus and anti-spam licenses for his one year old Net Integrator from Net Integration Technologies.

Some background is in order.  Net Integration Technologies Inc. was a Markham, ON based company with an incredible server appliance targeted at small businesses.  Over the past 7 years, I've installed and/or supported over 40 of these systems.  Suffice it to say we're familiar with them -- and happy.  In February 2008, the company was purchased by IBM.  Today, the fallout of that purchase landed on my client.

Prior to today, the cost for his prospective purchase was $870.  As of two o'clock this afternoon, it's $2,749.  A whopping 216% increase.  Oh, to be sure, he's getting other things for that money.  The new price also includes an upgrade to the latest version of the operating system, now called Lotus Foundations Start, and a year of software assurance. Only... The client doesn't need the new version of the operating system and still has almost a year of software assurance remaining from his last purchase.  Obviously, at IBM, software assurance doesn't really assure much at all.

Whatever will he do?