Monthly Microsoft News
______________________________
November
2007
Feature
Article Daylight Savings Time Ends on November
4, 2007 - (DST Patch) Update
In observance of the various Daylight Saving Time (DST) changes
Microsoft has been working closely with customers, partners and
others in the industry to help ensure a smooth and seamless transition.
Earlier in the year, many customers across the world were able
to transition smoothly by applying the right updates prior to
the DST changes taking place. Microsoft has released updates for
the Windows operating system and other Microsoft software affected
by these changes.
Daylight Saving Time will end November
4, 2007, one week later than in previous years
Generally, no action is required for
customers and partners who installed DST patches in the spring.
However exceptions exist; encourage customers and partners to
review the website or call support http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst
The websites, resources, downloads,
software patches, knowledgebase articles, etc. have been vastly
improved since last spring
Unlike in the spring, standard technical
support policies will be in place; DST issues will not be free
for those customers and partners who do not have support agreements
in place
Product
Announcements
Two New Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) Benefits
As of the October Product Use Rights (PUR) customers can now use three of the five MDOP components (AIS, DaRT and AGPM) on their servers covered in the same domain as their MDOP covered desktops. The below new use rights go into effect:
Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (DOP) for Software Assurance.
Active Windows Vista Business Software Assurance coverage
provides you with eligibility to acquire licenses for DOP
for Software Assurance. These licenses are an optional and
separate purchase from Software Assurance. See the Product
List for details. If you invoke this benefit, you have the
rights below for each DOP for Software Assurance license you
acquire.
Installation and use rights.
The "licensed device" is the device to which you have
assigned your corresponding qualifying license and Windows
Vista Business Software Assurance coverage
Licensed Device. You may install
and use the software on the licensed device. Some functionality
in the software is designed to manage software on the
licensed device. You may use that functionality on other
devices solely to manage software running on the licensed
device. You may also use the following components to manage
software on servers within your domain, so long as the
desktops within that domain are licensed for MDOP:
The
Optimized Desktop SKU! Effective with the October 1 price
list - Microsoft now has a single combined SKU of MDOP plus
Windows SA for component and platform EA's. You only need
to add ONE single sku to add both Windows SA and MDOP to
a new EA!
This new SKU is only available
on EA's and only available for enterprise wide purchasing
and only available if it is added at signing on the agreement
(and then it can be trued up later)
This new SKU is available in
the following forms: New EAs (and true ups) as U+SA Windows
Component plus MDOP, New EA (and true ups) U+SA Windows
Platform plus MDOP, Renewal EAs SA Windows Component plus
MDOP, Renewal EAs SA Windows platform plus MDOP
This sku will already apply
the enterprise wide discounting
MDOP will not be eligible for
an additional platform discount but that math is also
already calculated in the combined platform SKU
This new SKU will have the attributes
of a perpetual SKU even though the actual use rights for
MDOP as a non-perpetual SKU have not changed (similar
to Forefront on the ECAL)
When you acquire a platform EA,
you will need to use 3 SKUs to make up the platform –
the Core CAL Platform SKU, the Office Platform SKU and
the new combined Windows SA plus MDOP platform SKU –
you cannot use the Pro Desktop platform or Enterprise
Desktop sku, as those will not include MDOP
The separate MDOP SKU will continue
to be available for customers who choose to purchase non-enterprise
wide, mid-term on an EA, through Select or just want a
separate line item
Some of the benefits of using this new SKU:
Simplified purchasing for
the customer who wishes to purchase MDOP with the start
of their agreement
No need for monthly reporting
of MDOP as is required of the standalone online subscription
sku – now through this mechanism MDOP can be trued
up annually like any other enterprise product
Forefront Security Management Console on November Price List
Forefront
Server Security Management Console will be listed on the
November 1, 2007 price list. Unfortunately, due to a production
error, please note that Forefront Server Security Management
Console is incorrectly listed on the November 2007 price
list with per user or per device licenses. Forefront Server
Security Management Console is correctly licensed per server.
This error will be corrected on the January, 2008 price
list at latest. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience
due to this error. Forefront Server Security Management
Console is licensed through the Microsoft Online Services
program on a per server subscription model. Customers only
need to purchase a license for the server(s) on which they
are running Forefront Server Security Management Console
-- not for each messaging or collaboration server it manages.
Customers do not require a product key to activate Forefront
Server Security Management Console – use of the product
is governed by the Microsoft Volume Licensing Agreement.
Forefront Server Security Management Console allows administrators
to easily manage Forefront Security for Exchange Server,
Forefront Security for SharePoint and Microsoft Antigen,
providing a web-based console to centralize configuration
and operation, automate the download and distribution of
signature and scan engine updates, and generate comprehensive
reports. Value Forefront Server Security Management Console
allows you with additional value around centralized management
and control for Forefront server security products.
Microsoft
continually seeks to extend and evolve the value of Microsoft
Software Assurance for Volume Licensing can bring to organizations.
Over the next few months, Microsoft will be making updates
to the benefits offered through Software Assurance (SA).
Some benefits will extend beyond SA, others will be updated,
and new benefits will be introduced.
Windows Pre-installation Environment Updated for the Microsoft Windows Vista family of operating systems
This
benefit is now called Windows Automated Installation Kit
(AIK). Windows AIK is available to all customers as a free
download,
and therefore is no longer a benefit of Software Assurance.
Microsoft
is investing strongly in virtualization technology for hardware
and applications across client and servers. As part of this
investment, Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 is replacing Virtual
PC Express. This product is available to all customers as
a free download.
Exchange Server Applications Subscription, also known as Exchange Intelligent Message Filter (IMF)
This
server-side tool, which helps detect and block spam e-mail
messages from being sent to users, is now available to all
customers as part of Exchange
Server 2003 Service Pack 2, and no longer included
as a Software Assurance benefit.
Corporate Error Reporting (CER) CER will no longer be available through Software Assurance
Customers will continue to receive the same value from other Software Assurance benefits designed to help organizations support and maintain their software.
SharePoint Deployment Planning Services (SDPS) - February 2008
This
benefit will offer services, provided by Microsoft Certified
Partners, which will introduce customers to advanced techniques,
processes, and tools to assist in the deployment of SharePoint
Server.
Employee
Purchase Program and Home Use Program Update - May 2008
In
May 2008, Microsoft will introduce updates to the Employee
Purchase Program and Home Use Programs. Updates to this
program will go farther in helping organizations increase
employee satisfaction.
As
always, customers need to use benefits within their Software
Assurance coverage period. For example, if the customer's
agreement began on January 3, 2007 and they do not renew
at the end of the three-year term, they may not use any
Software Assurance benefits beyond January 2, 2010.
SoftGrid Application Training Course Now Eligible for Redemption through SA Voucher Program
The
SoftGrid Application Virtualization Administration Training
Course (Course #50016A), that is available through the Courseware
Library is now eligible for redemption through the SA training
voucher program, effective October 1, 2007
The course can be accessed at http://cwlibrary.mslearn.net.
Now you can enjoy one more benefit of the SA Training Voucher
Program while learning how to get the most from Microsoft
SoftGrid Application Virtualization.
Microsoft
Open Value 6.6 with eAgreements will launch on November
4, 2007. Program changes are designed to simplify the licensing
process and improve customer experience, and include:
Expanded reach with Open Value
for Government to provide eligible government customers
in more geographies with a comprehensive offering at
special pricing
Agreement updates to improve
readability, navigation, and provide consistency across
all Volume Licensing agreements
eAgreements was developed in response to direct customer
feedback that requested better ways to manage Volume Licensing
Agreements. Initially, eAgreements will be available for
Open Value 6.6 commercial and government only (additional
programs in later releases).
Campus
& School Agreements 3.5 to Launch December 3, 2007
This
refresh of Microsoft’s subscription licensing programs
for education customers includes some important and beneficial
enhancements for customers including new benefits, program
simplification, and improvements to the contracts.
New Benefits
Home Use Program (HUP) availability - Campus and School Agreement
(CASA) customers will have an additional way to provide their
faculty and staff members with access to Microsoft Office
desktop applications. Through the Home Use Program (HUP),
a benefit of Microsoft Software Assurance, faculty and staff
may be eligible to order Microsoft software to use on their
home computer for both work and personal use at a nominal
cost.
Many customers found the restrictions around Work at Home
(WAH) rights to be too limiting. The addition of HUP solves
a key customer issue around providing Microsoft Office software
for home use. Unlike software licensed via WAH rights, HUP
software may be used for personal use. Customers have also
reported that the fulfillment process for WAH to be burdensome.
With HUP, once the benefit has been activated by the institution’s
Software Assurance benefits administrator the individual faculty/staff
member orders and pays for shipping of their software themselves
online, eliminating the media fulfillment burden from the
institution.
CASA customers will continue to have the option of providing
limited software titles to their faculty and staff members
for work-related use only on a home computer via WAH rights.
The requirement to order the no cost WAH SKUs has been removed.
Please note that institutions are not permitted to provide
both HUP and WAH software for the same title to any individual
faculty or staff member.
HUP and WAH availability
by product pool:
HUP
WAH
Product
Pool
Applications
X*
X*
Systems
X
Servers
X
*Individuals may not be provided both
HUP and WAH software for any given software title.
Evaluation rights
- Customers will now be able to download evaluation software
bits through MVLS and enjoy a 60-day trial of any product
of their interest before they commit to a purchase.
Program Adjustments
Pro-rated Mid-term Product Additions
- An important improvement to the flexibility of Campus
and School Agreement, customers will be able to order
products after their initial annual order at a pro-rated
price, without the need for an amendment. When a new product
is added the customer will pay a pro-rated price based
on the number of months remaining in their term, with
a minimum 50% of the annual price or a 6-month rate. For
instance if the customer adds the product at month 3,
they will pay for 9 months (.75 x the annual price). If
the customer orders at month 9, they will pay for 6 months
(.5 x the annual price)
Eligibility to step-up to a higher
product edition - At their anniversary order process,
3-year CASA customers will be able to step-up to a higher
product edition (for instance from Core CAL to Enterprise
CAL, or from SQL Standard to SQL Enterprise) without voiding
the terms of the price guarantee offered under the 3-year
enrolment
Media Kit Improvements –
For customers who choose to receive physical media, the
media Starter Kits sent to CASA customers will include
only the software they ordered. Likewise, the monthly
Update Subscription kits will only include media for updates
to their licensed products. This solves two media-related
issues:
Previously,
customers received media for all of the available
Campus/School desktop software titles, regardless
of whether they ordered them. This led to customer
confusion and potential unlicensed use of products.
By providing media that matches what the customer
ordered, the customer has the comfort of knowing they
are licensed to install any and all of the software
included in their media starter kit and/or media update
kits
Previously, customers had
an excess amount of packaging and media to recycle
or throw away. By eliminating media for products they
are not licensed for, the amount of waste will be
significantly reduced
Stand-Alone Student Option -
The previous requirement that a customer must have a Campus
or School faculty/staff enrolment in order to enrol in
the Student Option will be removed. Customers may enrol
in the programs to license their students separately from
the faculty/staff enrolment. This allows institutions
who prefer subscription licensing for students, but not
for faculty/staff and institutional use, as well as institutions
who decide to add the Student Option mid-term, as they
may now do so without waiting until their next annual
renewal. Enrolling both students and faculty is always
encouraged to simplify the enrolment process.
Revised Buy-out Option - For
customers with a 3-year enrolment, Microsoft will improve
the value of 3-year option by providing better buy-out
pricing for perpetual licenses at the end of the 3-year.
Customers have expressed that the cost to buy-out of a
Campus or School Agreement as a barrier to enter into
a subscription program. The changes to the buy-out option
are important steps toward addressing these customer issues,
and help to remove key barriers for academic institutions
wanting to enrol in this program.
Support for Promotional Pricing
- The agreement language about pricing for 3-year customers
will be revised to state that the pricing guarantees do
not apply to promotional SKUs. This will allow the use
of price promotional SKUs for Campus/School.
MSDN AA Benefit – The complimentary
annual MSDN AA membership benefit offered to Campus and
School customers will be extended to include renewing
customers via electronic download.
Improvements to the Contracts
In addition to the programmatic changes listed above, Microsoft
made some significant updates to simplify licensing agreements
for customers and partners, including:
The agreement length has been
reduced by 10%-50%
All signature blocks are removed
from all agreement forms and a new signature form is being
introduced for a single signature event with the customer
The language and the content flow in each agreement
have been updated for consistency across all Volume Licensing
agreements
Navigation has been improved with a new table of contents
and summary titles.
Timeline
December 3, 2007: Campus and
School v3.5 contracts available
December 3, 2007: February 29,
2008: Transition period - v3.4 and v3.5 accepted
March 1, 2008: Only v3.5 accepted
Microsoft Get Genuine Windows Agreement in Volume Licensing
Beginning October 1, 2007, a new Microsoft Windows XP Professional operating system legalization solution will be available for Volume License commercial customers who want to legalize their PCs. The Microsoft Get Genuine Windows Agreement (GGWA) will require the customer to sign a legalization agreement to acquire a one-time license to legalize their PC installed base.
There are two types of Get Genuine Windows Agreements (GGWA):
GGWA for Small and Medium Organizations
- can be licensed through any Microsoft reseller/distributor
and has a 5-license minimum
GGWA for Large Organizations
- can be licensed through LARs or directly from Microsoft
NOTE: Brazil, Russia, India and China will
continue to use the Get Genuine Solution currently in place
in those markets for small and medium-sized organizations.
As
a limited time offer from February 1, 2007 to January 31,
2008, Open, Open Value, Select, Academic Select and EA customers
may obtain the Microsoft Branch Infrastructure Enterprise
Solution promotion which includes 10-pack licenses for each
of the following products:
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
R2 Standard Edition
Microsoft ISA Server 2006
Enterprise Edition
Microsoft System Center Operations
Manager 2007 Enterprise Operations Management License
(OML)
Microsoft Systems Management
Server 2003 R2 Server Configuration Management License
(CML)
As
a limited time offer from July 1, 2007 through December
31, 2007, Open Value and Select customers are eligible to
acquire per user and per device monthly subscriptions for
Exchange Hosted Filtering at potential savings. This offer
cannot be used in conjunction with purchases of any other
promotional offer or packaged software suite.
As
a limited time offer from April 1, 2007 through January
31 2008, Open Value, Select, and Academic Select are eligible
to acquire licenses for Forefront Security for Exchange
Server at potential savings. This offer applies to a new
or renewal subscription for Forefront Security for Exchange
Server, either a user subscription or device subscription
license.
As
a limited time offer from July 1, 2007 through December
31, 2007, Open Value, Select, and EA customers that own
Forefront Security for Exchange or Antigen for Exchange
licenses are eligible to acquire Forefront Security Suite
at potential savings.
As
a limited time offer from May 1, 2007 through December 31,
2007, Open, Open Value, Select and EA customers are eligible
to acquire ILM 2007 User CALs at potential savings with
the purchase of Software Assurance. Please note that ILM
Server 2007 must also be purchased with Software Assurance
to qualify. A minimum purchase of 250 ILM 2007 User CALs
is required to be eligible
Microsoft Centralized Application Access Promotion (MCAAP) - CALs
As
a limited time offer from August 1, 2007 through July 31,
2008, Open, Open Value, Select and Enterprise Agreement
customers are eligible for the Microsoft Centralized Application
Access CAL Promotion which includes 100 licenses for each
of the following products at potential savings:
Windows Server 2003 Terminal
Services CAL
Whale Intelligent Application
Gateway (IAG) 2007 CAL
SoftGrid Application Virtualization
4.1 CAL for Terminal Services
Microsoft Centralized Application Access Promotion (MCAAP) - External Connectors
As
a limited time offer from August 1, 2007 through July 31,
2008, Open, Open Value, Select and Enterprise Agreement
customers are eligible for the Microsoft Centralized Application
Access External Connector Promotion which includes 1 license
for each of the following products at potential savings:
Windows Server 2003 Terminal
Services External Connector
As
a limited time offer from August 1, 2007 to December 31,
2007, Open Value Subscription customers are eligible for
an Extended UTD promotion (see standard UTD terms in Appendix
3) during the first year of their subscription agreement.
Qualifying customers may acquire any UTD License identified
below if they are licensed for one of the corresponding
qualifying prior or current versions through OEM, FPP, Volume
Licensing. This Extended UTD offer is only valid in UK,
Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland Lebanon, Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq,
Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Kuwait,
Qatar, Israel, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia,
S Africa, Turkey, Nigeria, Indian Ocean Islands, Western
Central Africa, and East Africa.
UTD
License
Qualifying
Version
Office Professional Plus Edition 2007
Office 2007 Professional Plus
Office 2003 Professional
Office XP Professional
Office 2000 Professional
Office Small Business Edition 2007
Office Small Business Edition 2007 Office 2007 Small
Business Edition
(or Professional/Standard Edition)
Office 2003 Small Business Edition
(or Professional/Standard Edition)
Office XP Small Business Edition
(or Professional/Standard Edition)
Office 2000 Small Business Edition
(or Professional/Standard Edition)
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) & Business Process Platform
As
a limited time offer from September 1, 2007 through February
29, 2008, Open, Open Value and Select customers may obtain
licenses for each of the following products at potential
savings through the Service Oriented Architecture / Business
Process (SOA) Platform Promotion. The promotion includes
licenses and Software Assurance for each of the following
products:
1 processor license for BizTalk
Server 2006 R2 Enterprise Edition
1 processor license for SQL
Server 2005 Enterprise Edition
1 license for Microsoft Office
SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007
1 license for Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite with MSDN
Premium
Associated Client Access Licenses for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server must be acquired separately. Please contact your reseller for details.
SQL Server 2005 Competitive Migration (Standard and Enterprise Editions)
Through
June 30, 2008, customers migrating to SQL Server with Software
Assurance from the following database products: Oracle Enterprise,
Oracle Standard, IBM DB2 Enterprise, IBM DB2 Workgroup,
Informix, Sybase ASE, Hitachi HiRDB, Fujitsu Synfoware,
Natural/Adabas, C/Side, Hyperion Essbase, Business Objects,
Cognos, Microstrategy, NCR Teradata, Progress, Centura,
Gupta and SAS are eligible to acquire SQL Server 2005 at
potential savings. SQL Server 2005 Standard (server and
per processor) and SQL Server Enterprise (server and per
processor) as well as CALs are included. This promotion
is only valid for the number of client access licenses that
will be migrated to SQL Server with Software Assurance.
This offer is available for Commercial and Government customers
only. Please contact your reseller for details.
Mid
Market Vista Velocity 2.0 As a limited time offer
from May 1, 2007 through October 31, 2007, Open Value and
Select customers are eligible to acquire U&SA for Vista
Business at potential savings. This offer is available for
Commercial and Government customers only. Please contact
your reseller for details.
Policy
provides consistent and predictable guidelines for product
support availability at the time of product release and
throughout the product life. By understanding the product
support available, customers are better able to maximize
the management of their IT investments and strategically
plan for a successful IT future. http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/#Support%20Lifecycle%20FAQs
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