Help with Technet subscription

[Studulike]

Can anyone help?

been looking at buying a Technet subscription and not sure if this deal is any good.
There is a number of microsoft partners online offering subscriptions at really good prices, the trouble is some of these are listed as "Technet Subscription 2006" They are packaged units sent out in the post.

Now my thinking is the package they send you is the 2006 package but you would still have online access from day one for a year as if a normal M$ sign up.

Is this correct?

Some urgent help would be good as have to pay for this by morning and as i can get subscription in UK for £171 seems like a good price.

 

[johngalt]

Buy the online subscription, using the coupon for $100 off (it now changes to a 25% off, not as much of a savings, but close) and get it for the download. Don't buy packages from anyone else - buy it from M$ directly. Trust me on this - the number of OS, products, and keys you get alone are more than worth it....

 

[pparks1]

Keep in mind however that technet keys and software are intended for evaluation purpose only. They are not meant to be used on day-to-day machines in your home, office or otherwise. Lots of people seem to feel that technet is a legal way to get as many installs of all of those software packages that you want...and that is simply not the point of this program.

 

[banderz777]

Buy the online subscription, using the coupon for $100 off (it now changes to a 25% off, not as much of a savings, but close) and get it for the download. Don't buy packages from anyone else - buy it from M$ directly. Trust me on this - the number of OS, products, and keys you get alone are more than worth it....

Listen to John, He is right it is better to get it from Microsoft then some other place, just trust us on this one.

 

[johngalt]

It specifically states *not for use in production* - I take that to mean not for use in a business environment. That *does* include SOHO situations, but still - evaluation or not, it is legal for people to use those builds on their home machines.

 

[pparks1]

It specifically states *not for use in production* - I take that to mean not for use in a business environment. That *does* include SOHO situations, but still - evaluation or not, it is legal for people to use those builds on their home machines.

No, I think this is incorrect. I've spoken with Microsoft in the past about this and their defined use of "production at home" was a day to day workstation. I was free to use the Technet software to evaluate a particular version of the OS..but if I wanted to install it permanently and use it as my daily OS, I was told "by Microsoft", that a full license would be required to be purchased.

Here is the link to the Technet FAQ:
TechNet Plus Blog | IT Professional Community | Newsgroup Support

And specifically for home use it says,

Can I use evaluation software received in my TechNet Plus subscription at home?
The license grants installation and use rights to one user only, for evaluation purposes, on any of the user’s devices, this may include devices at home. Keep in mind that you may use the evaluation software only to evaluate it. You may not use it in a live operating environment, a staging environment, or with data that has not been sufficiently backed up. You may not use the evaluation software for software development or in an application development environment.

It's very clear to me, "it's eval software used to evaluate it".

To use it in any other advantage is to take advantage of the program and violate the license agreement.

 

[Studulike]

I understand the risks for buying outside of Microsoft and have indeed had subscriptions before including MSDN subscriptions but this is some time ago now and not signed up for a few years.

I ask about this as there is a couple of companies in the UK that are listed as Microsoft Partner/re-sellers and are quite well known. They are offering various deals with many being 2006 subscription packages. I just wondered what you are actually getting with these deals and what i lose out on.
Also one other question, if I was to buy the same package from a US based company selling same product for $190, what are the implecations of using a US based subscription in the UK?

Thanks again for the info and advice, just seems like great offers, and don't want to miss up a possible steal.

regards,

Alan

P.S. also been looking at a Bizspack subscription. Looks interesting and probably qualify. I have applied anyway. lol

 

[johngalt]

Can I use evaluation software received in my TechNet Plus subscription at home?

The license grants installation and use rights to one user only, for evaluation purposes, on any of the user’s devices, this may include devices at home. Keep in mind that you may use the evaluation software only to evaluate it. You may not use it in a live operating environment, a staging environment, or with data that has not been sufficiently backed up. You may not use the evaluation software for software development or in an application development environment.

I see that as my ability to evaluate it - and by constantly installing and uninstalling applications, games, and drivers, checking for and reporting compatibility as I do here every day, I think that more than qualifies.

I'll be happy to call M$ if you think I am not following the rules...

 

[pparks1]

I see that as my ability to evaluate it - and by constantly installing and uninstalling applications, games, and drivers, checking for and reporting compatibility as I do here every day, I think that more than qualifies.

I'll be happy to call M$ if you think I am not following the rules...

Please do call them and ask them about it. Tell them that instead of buying 2 copies of Windows 7 and installing them on 2 workstations at home that you instead plan to buy 1 subscription to Technet and use that software instead because it's cheaper and you get all of this other software that you can use as well.

Please let us know exactly what they tell you.

What you are doing is not evaluating software. Evaluating software is trying it out for 30 days and seeing whether it meets your needs and then purchasing the required licenses if you plan to continue using it going forward.

 

[DataMan47]

Even MSDN, which has a much less restrictive license term than TechNet (you can use a MSDN license on any sort of system, as long as it's for devel/design/testing/demonstration), spells out the restrictions on home use pretty clearly:

Many MSDN subscribers use a computer for mixed use—both design, development, testing, and demonstration of your programs (the use allowed under the MSDN Subscription license) and some other use. Using the software in any other way, such as for doing email, playing games, or editing a document is another use and is not covered by the MSDN Subscription license. When this happens, the underlying operating system must also be licensed normally by purchasing a regular copy of Windows such as the one that came with a new OEM PC.

Basically, what johngalt is suggesting falls into this dual-use category: you may be "evaluating" the system, but you are also using it for other tasks, and if you continue to do so, then you will need an additional license for that.

Of course, MSFT never enforces this, so a lot of (most?) people use TechNet or MSDN like this. But technically they would all be violation of the license.

 

[Studulike]

Sorry to double post, but one other thing i find a little off in the UK, is if you order anything direct from Microsoft; in this case technet you get charged the Irish VAT amount at something like 21%.

Bad enough when we buy online in cyberspace we have to pay VAT but hell we shouldn't have to pay irish VAT.

 

[Studulike]

Even MSDN, which has a much less restrictive license term than TechNet (you can use a MSDN license on any sort of system, as long as it's for devel/design/testing/demonstration), spells out the restrictions on home use pretty clearly:



Basically, what johngalt is suggesting falls into this dual-use category: you may be "evaluating" the system, but you are also using it for other tasks, and if you continue to do so, then you will need an additional license for that.

Of course, MSFT never enforces this, so a lot of (most?) people use TechNet or MSDN like this. But technically they would all be violation of the license.

The fact is a Technet subscription is for a year not 30 days and at the end of the day provided it is being used on your own machines, maybe in your own home and not doing any kind of business on said machines appart from examining for example how other software reacts with the software you are using, even if it is typing out a letter for your own use, i see this as well within M$ agreed limits.

Anyway what have we all been doing for the last year testing windows 7?
Or are we all breaking the law? lol

 

[johngalt]

Please do call them and ask them about it. Tell them that instead of buying 2 copies of Windows 7 and installing them on 2 workstations at home that you instead plan to buy 1 subscription to Technet and use that software instead because it's cheaper and you get all of this other software that you can use as well.

Please let us know exactly what they tell you.

What you are doing is not evaluating software. Evaluating software is trying it out for 30 days and seeing whether it meets your needs and then purchasing the required licenses if you plan to continue using it going forward.

Umm, check your premises again. Even the Technet site states:

Evaluate.

Full-version software with no time limits.
Evaluate full-version commercial software products like Windows 7 Release Candidate without time or feature limits, including these titles:

As you just said, evaluation is for limited time - but they advertise unlimited time. And as I have previously noted, I *am* evaluating software all the time - I beta test for Malwarebytes, I run litmus tests on nightly builds of Mozilla's Firefox and Thunderbird, and numerous other software as they becomes available, both officially and unofficially. Not to mention, I report my experiences not only to those websites as well as here, but to my University's IT department as well, which is still deploying XP system wide, and only dealing with Vista when faculty and staff circumvent the system and purchase their own machines.

Furthermore, the second machine I am installing it on is my laptop, which is also a testing machine as opposed to a live machine, in that I don't do any commercial work on it at all. In fact, everything it is school related, whether classwork or work.

Again, I am testing this for future use. When my sister buys a new machine, she gets her own copy of W7, not mine. When my parents' machine stops working with the R, they get a retail license of the OS.

My technet is for me and my evaluation alone. just because I use the OS as my primary (and only) OS does not make me in violation of the terms.

Even MSDN, which has a much less restrictive license term than TechNet (you can use a MSDN license on live systems, as long as it's for devel/design/testing/demonstration), spells out the restrictions on home use pretty clearly:



Of course, MSFT never enforces this, so a lot of (most?) people use TechNet or MSDN like this. But technically they would all be violation of the license.

Technically speaking, though, most of us are in violation of the OS in some manner or format. TBH, I am not continuing this discussion until I have consulted with M$ further to ascertain what their take is in the situation - but the way I read the license info what I do in terms of testing and reporting falls well within the limits of the license and EULA.

 

[pparks1]

The fact is a Technet subscription is for a year not 30 days and at the end of the day provided it is being used on your own machines, maybe in your own home and not doing any kind of business on said machines appart from examining for example how other software reacts with the software you are using, even if it is typing out a letter for your own use, i see this as well within M$ agreed limits.

30 days was just an example. While it is true that Technet is for a year...it's also a true that if you don't renew your Technet subscription at the end of that year...that you have to end your usage of the "eval software completely"

To me the licensing agreement is very clear, not fuzzy, gray or otherwise.
The rep that I spoke with at Microsoft when I had my MSDN subscription agreed with me, that it's not for use on a workstation at home for daily use.

Can I use evaluation software received in my TechNet Plus subscription at home?
The license grants installation and use rights to one user only, for evaluation purposes, on any of the user’s devices, this may include devices at home. Keep in mind that you may use the evaluation software only to evaluate it. You may not use it in a live operating environment, a staging environment, or with data that has not been sufficiently backed up. You may not use the evaluation software for software development or in an application development environment.

Anyway what have we all been doing for the last year testing windows 7?
Or are we all breaking the law? lol

No, Microsoft provided this software to us and hardcoded a 2010 expiration into it so we cannot continue to evaluate or activate it past a certain point.

TBH, I am not continuing this discussion until I have consulted with M$ further to ascertain what their take is in the situation - but the way I read the license info what I do in terms of testing and reporting falls well within the limits of the license and EULA.

Thanks for taking this so seriously and checking with Microsoft on the issue. I think a few people might be surprised at what you find out.

I mean we can all twist up our use of how we use our computer. I mean I constantly use virtual machine software to constantly test out new OS's and the like for my own personal knowledge and for being a better systems admin, I install a lot of beta software and re-install my OS's on a very regular basis. But I'm not trying to convince anybody that what I am doing is evaluating my OS software to provide recommendations to others.

It seems very clear to me that the whole point behind this debate was that instead of buying 2 legit copies of the OS, people should use this method instead. This wasn't mentioned as a way to evaluate anything, but rather a method of saving money. Big difference.

 

[Stranger]

Interesting to see the requirement for a Technet subscriber to remove their eval software at the end of their subscription.

I have my MSDN subscription through bizspark, which gives me a three year MSDN subscription, and allows me to use the software on machines that I use for software development to aid in that development.

What happens after three years of participation in BizSpark?
In addition to responsibility for the USD$100 program offering fee, Startups can continue to use the development tools they previously obtained through the program.

If you qualify for Bizspark, then it is definitely better for you than going for a Technet subscription

 

[Antman]

Perhaps one could evaluate whether or not the software suits long term needs and to contemporaneously ascertain if the software develops any operational failures during the life cycle of support.

 

[Zidane24]

Even MSDN, which has a much less restrictive license term than TechNet (you can use a MSDN license on any sort of system, as long as it's for devel/design/testing/demonstration), spells out the restrictions on home use pretty clearly:



Basically, what johngalt is suggesting falls into this dual-use category: you may be "evaluating" the system, but you are also using it for other tasks, and if you continue to do so, then you will need an additional license for that.

Of course, MSFT never enforces this, so a lot of (most?) people use TechNet or MSDN like this. But technically they would all be violation of the license.

It is what I call an "Insurance Policy". Microsoft lets you use the software like a full product without saying anything to you...unless some type of complaint or what is filed against them by one of these users. They can then use their "Insurance Policy" to keep themselves without liability

 

[Zidane24]

30 days was just an example. While it is true that Technet is for a year...it's also a true that if you don't renew your Technet subscription at the end of that year...that you have to end your usage of the "eval software completely"

To me the licensing agreement is very clear, not fuzzy, gray or otherwise.
The rep that I spoke with at Microsoft when I had my MSDN subscription agreed with me, that it's not for use on a workstation at home for daily use.



No, Microsoft provided this software to us and hardcoded a 2010 expiration into it so we cannot continue to evaluate or activate it past a certain point.

Thanks for taking this so seriously and checking with Microsoft on the issue. I think a few people might be surprised at what you find out.

I mean we can all twist up our use of how we use our computer. I mean I constantly use virtual machine software to constantly test out new OS's and the like for my own personal knowledge and for being a better systems admin, I install a lot of beta software and re-install my OS's on a very regular basis. But I'm not trying to convince anybody that what I am doing is evaluating my OS software to provide recommendations to others.

It seems very clear to me that the whole point behind this debate was that instead of buying 2 legit copies of the OS, people should use this method instead. This wasn't mentioned as a way to evaluate anything, but rather a method of saving money. Big difference.

Their definition of evaluation and how it pertains to home use is invalid then...if I am about to buy a new product than I want to test it out to see if it fits my needs...by their definition I would have to use the OS in such as a machine I turn on...boot an app...if it works great...and then turn it off. When I evaluate something I want to run it like a normal OS everyday and see how the product reacts. If it runs to my satisifcation...than I would be glad to buy it. Based on their statement I would never buy a technet subscription just to be limited in how I evaluate the product

 

[Zidane24]

Perhaps one could evaluate whether or not the software suits long term needs and to contemporaneously ascertain if the software develops any operational failures during the life cycle of support.

You are right...by the definition of evaluation that would be appropriate. Microsoft's definition and philosophy here is to "buy our subscription and evaluate the software...just evaluate it how WE want you too". Actually the fact they charge for someone to evaluate their product to make it better is a tragedy in itself...if the technet/MSDN products ever expired I wouldn't blame people for suing the hell out of them

 

[Antman]

...Actually the fact they charge for someone to evaluate their product to make it better is a tragedy in itself...if the technet/MSDN products ever expired I wouldn't blame people for suing the hell out of them

I truly believe that MS knows exactly how their distribution systems works in the real world - and they like it.

When someone says "My computer", they mean a MS enabled product. If they mean Apple, they say Apple. If they mean Linux, they say distro. The preceding is an exaggeration intended to illustrate the premise. Get a life already.

MS is ubiquitous - it is their goal, it is their accomplished task. Bullocks to anyone who argues otherwise.

Not directly related, but obliquely on point - A few generations ago, Coca-Cola designed the infamous green Coke bottle to be uniquely identifiable - even it was shattered. They wanted you to know that they were everywhere, and everywhere, people drink Coke.

Windows (distribution) is a lot like crack. You might have to steal it at times, but you will keep coming back.