Then they began trading information about weaknesses in computer systems and selling software kits to exploit them, complete with technical support and updates.

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The stakes are high: Support and software updates account for roughly half of Oracle's sales.

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Amid their appeals for support, the paper printed updates and letters from the public on its front page.

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License updates and product support was up 3%, or 8% in constant currency.

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Because of the blackout, some 60 million Hotmail users worldwide can't access their e-mail, Microsoft customers can't download software updates or get online support and MSNBC.com has no audience.

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Red Hat and Novell, its main rival, still make money by giving away Linux and charging for support: customers sign up for a subscription that gives them the right to all the updates and someone to call if something goes wrong.

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Intel also argues that its for-profit model is more sustainable than OLPC's nonprofit model, which Intel says may eventually fold and leave developing countries without updates or support.

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