Each key has a large number of activations though (10 for OSes per key, I think), and you get new keys every year. If you need more than 5 keys for a specific product, you probably are doing more than Technet was really designed for, and an actual volume license (minimum you need for a VL license is only 5) might be better.
There's a lot to disagree with here, but I will try to focus on one or two elements.
Technet Standard now only provides 2 keys, so that's far from your bar of 5 and might far from the bar Mocrosoft established when I purchased this subscription - 10.
There is some disagreement over whether new keys are available each year.
I just don't see the concern over "only" having 20 activations.
1). Seriously, how many computers are you guys "testing" on at home?
2). Don't you have some imaging software...so you can load to a machine and capture an image and then just later redeploy that image already activated.
3). Do you really even have to activate at all? I don't with my MSDN keys. With 30 days and 3 rearms..I get 120 days. I'm never testing anything for more than 4 months straight.
To me, people are getting really worked up over a policy change which I think in the end, won't amount to a problem for hardly anybody.
Edit: As far as I know, you don't get new keys when you renew or a new year starts.
I haven't had a Technet sub in a few years, so that may have changed. MSDN still provides new keys yearly on at least my sub level, so if I'm wrong about that, mea culpa. 2 keys seems a bit limiting though if you purchased a sub with 10, although I'm not sure what your rights are if the legalese you agreed to says they can change it at any time.
People are not getting worked up over a policy change what they (including me) are mad about is that the changes were implemented half way through a yearly subscription instead of waiting till the subscription expires.
You should not be able to change conditions of a PAID agreement half way through.
If you RENEW you DON'T get new keys.
If you let your subscription LAPSE and then PURCHASE A NEW ONE then you start again with Brand new ones although of course buying a new subscription is more expensive than renewing.
I agree that even 20 activations per OS should be MORE than enough for Home / Hobby testers -- I don't imagine most people have a set of Computer Labs at home
but this MISSES THE POINT.
You sign a CONTRACT with Conditions XXXXX.
If Company want to change conditions XXXXX to YYYYY in mid flight then they can do one of 2 things
1) Refund a proportion of the subscription back.
2) Allow existing users to continue until their subscription runs out.
That is the ONLY ETHICAL way of switching a contract mid deal.
Imagine if all the other suppliers did a similar thing -- For example you buy an Air ticket from New York to London for XXX dollars. When you get to London the airline now says we've actually changed the price so you have to pay ANOTHER YYY dollars before you get off the plane.
I don't have ANY PROBLEM WHATSOEVER in MS adopting whatever policy it likes regarding its own products --but if it sells a service then it SHOULD HONOUR THE TERMS OF THAT AGREEMENT OR MAKE ACCEPTABLE COMPENSATION TERMS.
jimbo
It is my understanding that the keys will activate forever. You just can not activate more than 10 machines using one key. If you drop a system and activate a new one, you are not then activating 11 keys, you still only have 10 keys in play. It's a retail license, which acts the same as a single retail install and activation. Except you get 10 instead of 1 (or the rumored 3).
It is not a limit on the number of activations. It is a limit on the number of machines activated at one time. If you have 10 machines activated and you try to activate number 11. One of those others will become deactivated, or it won't let you activate till you drop one. Not exactly sure how it works or knows. It just does.
donīt think, instead read my post on page 14....
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"The reduction is only for desktop version of Microsoft products, like Windows 7, Windows XP, Office 2007 and Office 2010. All other software has the same amount of keys as before."
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Technet Plus changed and Reduced number of Keys to 5
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