Technet Plus changed and Reduced number of Keys to 5

[hackerman1]

hi !

2 / 5 keys for ALL products !?

The change is only for Desktop products, at least for now. The only programs thats has got their keys count cut is:
Access 2007/2010
Office 2007
Office 2010
Windows 7
Windows XP

first of all: are you "Kenneth Myhre" on Technet ?

that is what i suspect from your username (and posting) here.

if so, on Technet-forum it was said that the change were on "DESKTOP-products"....
but, read the text on the F.A.Q. now !
there it says "for all products"....

i´m confused.
of course it it would be nice to have correct information BEFORE i consider buying a subscription....

 

[Dave76]

TechNet Professional (RETAIL): Current policy is that subscribers may access a maximum allocation of five keys from the download portal for use during the Subscription year to be used during the software evaluation process.

Does this sound like the keys expire with the Subscription?

This sounds like the same situation as the number of keys available, they can choose to enforce an expiration date for these keys if they want to.

Looks like this will be subject to the interpretation they choose.

Previously, these keys have not expired.

 

[pparks1]

To me that reads that you can only access the site to retrieve your keys while your subscription is active.

 

[hpark21]

Someone mentioned this before, maybe it has been addressed, if so, my bad here.

I have a TechNet Pro 'script, got it in June of 2009, renewed it in June of 2010. I got the 10 keys alloted to me. What I can't seem to find, is anything in writing that guarantees me the 10 keys/activations per key. I have nothing in my Technet file here, and don't recall seeing anything on the TechNet site.

Does anyone have a written statement, either in an email, snail mail, or any other form stating we get the 10 key-10 activations per key?

How about words given verbally? Does that count?

I vaguely remember calling them when I was ready by buy the subscription to CONFIRM what others were telling me on the web.

It went like:
Me: So, is it true that I get 10 keys each to install for evaluation purposes?
Guy on the phone: Yes, you get 10 keys
Me: Is it also true you get 10 keys for each of the Windows 7 editions?
Guy on the phone: Yes.
Me: It is same for the Office product as well?
Guy on the phone: Yes.
Me: Thank you.

I do not know how many people called them, but I am sure I can line up a LOT of people confirming that they said 10 keys per product over the phone.

Isn't this enough? Does it HAVE to be in writing? I do not believe they can get away with saying that it was not IN the contract when their support personnels were TRAINED to say that it is 10 keys per product such that when we confronted them first, they said it was website issue at first and it will go back to 10 keys.

IF this happens to go to class action, I am SURE that lawyers will ask the phone operators how many keys that we used to have and they will have no way but to say that we had 10 before EVEN though it was not written IN the contract or official FAQ specifically.

 

[myhken]

hi !

first of all: are you "Kenneth Myhre" on Technet ?

that is what i suspect from your username (and posting) here.

if so, on Technet-forum it was said that the change were on "DESKTOP-products"....
but, read the text on the F.A.Q. now !
there it says "for all products"....

i´m confused.
of course it it would be nice to have correct information BEFORE i consider buying a subscription....

Yes, I'm Kenneth Myhre on Technet. I do see the text in the FAQ, but their is not any change in other keys just now. And if MS had plans to change the number of keys on all products, they had done it now.
So just now, the change is only for the desktop software.

I'm using VAMT 2.0 to check every MAK key you get, and every MAK key still has 500 activations. And every other programs that's not desktop software (except Vista that has 10 keys) has 10 keys now.

Here is 20 screen shots of my Technet Pro account, and you can see what products has what numbers of keys. The first page with access missing, and the last three XP versions is missing (did not wanted to make any more screen shots)

 

[Dave76]

Hi Kenneth, Welcome to Seven Forums.

Thanks for helping to clarify the changes in the TechNet subscription policies.

Nobody likes to have terms changed during a subscription or agreement, I think we all can understand why MS felt they should do this.
Even though we may not agree with it in principle or ethics.

It's up to each individual to try and get a refund or continue.

 

[myhken]

Tnx for the welcoming. I can understand that people get upset when some of their products keys is reduced with 80% or 50%.
But I want to know if the people that gets upset is the people that is using Technet only for this scenarios:

What are the testing scenarios I can use TechNet Subscriptions software?
Please be aware that subscribing to TechNet does not grant user rights to test as part of a software application development effort. The following testing scenarios can be used during the software evaluation process.
Software test scenarios allowed with TechNet SubscriptionsTechNet Subscription software may be tested to determine the following:
Install/Uninstall – Time and process required for full, partial or upgrade software install/uninstall processes and system integration.
Recovery – Capacity for software to recover from crashes, hardware failures, or other catastrophic problems.
Security – Defining software’s ability to protect against unauthorized internal or external access.
Compatibility – Gauging software performance in existing or new hardware, software, operating system or network environments.
Comparison – Evaluating software to determine product strengths and weaknesses as compared to previous versions or similar products.
Usability – Assessing satisfaction among end users, observing end user utilization and understanding user interaction scenarios.
Performance – Ensuring software will perform as expected to requirements.
Stability – Estimating individual software’s ability to perform consistently, relative to system demands.
Environment – Determining software settings while software is being evaluated by end users in existing infrastructure.

And if their meet the requirements of the terms here:

What is the definition of an “IT Pro?”
IT Professionals plan, install or configure, deploy, integrate, manage and support the technology infrastructure for their organization and its end users and may be either employees of the organization or employees of a vendor hired to perform the relevant IT services for it. Positions held and/or functions performed by IT Pros include: Help Desk Technicians, Desktop Technicians, Desktop Administrators, Server Administrator, Database Administrator, IT Manager, and Infrastructure Specialist.

 

[24c]

Someone mentioned this before, maybe it has been addressed, if so, my bad here.

I have a TechNet Pro 'script, got it in June of 2009, renewed it in June of 2010. I got the 10 keys alloted to me. What I can't seem to find, is anything in writing that guarantees me the 10 keys/activations per key. I have nothing in my Technet file here, and don't recall seeing anything on the TechNet site.

Does anyone have a written statement, either in an email, snail mail, or any other form stating we get the 10 key-10 activations per key?

How about words given verbally? Does that count?

I vaguely remember calling them when I was ready by buy the subscription to CONFIRM what others were telling me on the web.

It went like:
Me: So, is it true that I get 10 keys each to install for evaluation purposes?
Guy on the phone: Yes, you get 10 keys
Me: Is it also true you get 10 keys for each of the Windows 7 editions?
Guy on the phone: Yes.
Me: It is same for the Office product as well?
Guy on the phone: Yes.
Me: Thank you.

I do not know how many people called them, but I am sure I can line up a LOT of people confirming that they said 10 keys per product over the phone.

Isn't this enough? Does it HAVE to be in writing? I do not believe they can get away with saying that it was not IN the contract when their support personnels were TRAINED to say that it is 10 keys per product such that when we confronted them first, they said it was website issue at first and it will go back to 10 keys.

IF this happens to go to class action, I am SURE that lawyers will ask the phone operators how many keys that we used to have and they will have no way but to say that we had 10 before EVEN though it was not written IN the contract or official FAQ specifically.

I'm going to take this as a "No", you don't have anything in writing.

 

[WindowsStar]

Tnx for the welcoming. I can understand that people get upset when some of their products keys is reduced with 80% or 50%.
But I want to know if the people that gets upset is the people that is using Technet only for this scenarios:

What are the testing scenarios I can use TechNet Subscriptions software?
Please be aware that subscribing to TechNet does not grant user rights to test as part of a software application development effort. The following testing scenarios can be used during the software evaluation process.
Software test scenarios allowed with TechNet SubscriptionsTechNet Subscription software may be tested to determine the following:
Install/Uninstall – Time and process required for full, partial or upgrade software install/uninstall processes and system integration.
Recovery – Capacity for software to recover from crashes, hardware failures, or other catastrophic problems.
Security – Defining software’s ability to protect against unauthorized internal or external access.
Compatibility – Gauging software performance in existing or new hardware, software, operating system or network environments.
Comparison – Evaluating software to determine product strengths and weaknesses as compared to previous versions or similar products.
Usability – Assessing satisfaction among end users, observing end user utilization and understanding user interaction scenarios.
Performance – Ensuring software will perform as expected to requirements.
Stability – Estimating individual software’s ability to perform consistently, relative to system demands.
Environment – Determining software settings while software is being evaluated by end users in existing infrastructure.

And if their meet the requirements of the terms here:

What is the definition of an “IT Pro?”
IT Professionals plan, install or configure, deploy, integrate, manage and support the technology infrastructure for their organization and its end users and may be either employees of the organization or employees of a vendor hired to perform the relevant IT services for it. Positions held and/or functions performed by IT Pros include: Help Desk Technicians, Desktop Technicians, Desktop Administrators, Server Administrator, Database Administrator, IT Manager, and Infrastructure Specialist.

I am sure this is WHY Microsoft made changes. Because many of the TechNet subscribers do NOT meet the definition of and "IT Pro".

But at the same time, this is hard on those of us who really are and support a huge user base and now have been restricted in the way we can test. Our deployment of Windows 7 I had to have over 250 test installs. ??? Why so high because we have thousands and thousands of users and systems. The testing was to make sure we were compatible with many different software’s and many different systems including IBM Main Frame, AS400, Sun, Linux, PBX Systems, Marques, Sport Area Systems, Airport Systems and hundreds of propriety systems as well as the need for even vending machines to be on the network with access (yep it is that kind of world). Although there have been some well made points that is should not affect us as much because there are work abounds. - WS

 

[myhken]

If you have a so big setup as 250 computers or more, you have the money to buy Technet Pro. Then you get access to Windows 7 Enterprise MAK key with 500 activations (you can also use that key to Win7 Pro), twice the number you have used now.
If you also need to use Office 2010 on every computer, you can run it without activating it. Use the same key on all, and then use the rearm function, and you can use Office 2010 for 120 days without activating. So I do not see the problem at all.

And a large company will use Windows 7 Enterprise and/or Windows 7 Professional, and not Ultimate or Home Premium. so you don't need 100 keys to them.

And if you need more then 500 activations, you had to get a second subscription before they reduced the number of keys, since the MAK key for Enterprise/Pro is the same now as before.

 

[pparks1]

But at the same time, this is hard on those of us who really are and support a huge user base and now have been restricted in the way we can test. Our deployment of Windows 7 I had to have over 250 test installs.

But to be fair, these installs didn't actually have to be installed using a key or even be activated. You get 30 days by default and up to 120 days with the rearm commands. If you are unable to complete your testing in 120 days...then you can simply reload at the end of 120 days and get 120 more days. a

As others have said, you probably need a Technet Pro account...not one of the $199 Technet standard accounts.

 

[hackerman1]

hi !

hi !

first of all: are you "Kenneth Myhre" on Technet ?

that is what i suspect from your username (and posting) here.

if so, on Technet-forum it was said that the change were on "DESKTOP-products"....
but, read the text on the F.A.Q. now !
there it says "for all products"....

i´m confused.
of course it it would be nice to have correct information BEFORE i consider buying a subscription....

Yes, I'm Kenneth Myhre on Technet. I do see the text in the FAQ, but their is not any change in other keys just now. And if MS had plans to change the number of keys on all products, they had done it now.
So just now, the change is only for the desktop software.

I'm using VAMT 2.0 to check every MAK key you get, and every MAK key still has 500 activations. And every other programs that's not desktop software (except Vista that has 10 keys) has 10 keys now.

ja det var det jag tänkte när jag såg ditt användarnamn här...
välkommen till Sevenforums Kenneth !
jag tror att jag sett nån mer norrman här...

OK, so far it´s the same info as previously given on the Technet-forum.
but, the BIG question is: are Microsoft going to reduce the number of keys on ALL products, or is the F.A.Q. incorrect ?

 

[WindowsStar]

But at the same time, this is hard on those of us who really are and support a huge user base and now have been restricted in the way we can test. Our deployment of Windows 7 I had to have over 250 test installs.

But to be fair, these installs didn't actually have to be installed using a key or even be activated. You get 30 days by default and up to 120 days with the rearm commands. If you are unable to complete your testing in 120 days...then you can simply reload at the end of 120 days and get 120 more days. a

As others have said, you probably need a Technet Pro account...not one of the $199 Technet standard accounts.

30 days, you have got to be kidding, that does not begin to be enough time to test. Respectfully you must not have any experience with large corporate setups. It takes from 3 to 6 months to do all the testing on a system. It has to be tested by many different users, off site, many different connections, many different software’s, lots of meetings with management and vendors for solutions, work-round’s for in house software and programming, etc. etc. etc., then you have to get network approval, IDS/Security approval, desktop approval and the CEO’s administration and CIO approval. I guess it I had only a handful of machines to test and minimal software to test then 30 days would be enough.

To this day we are still trying to work out Windows XP issues to migrate old systems from DOS, Windows 3.11, or Windows NT. You may ask if you are corporate then you have the money and that may be the case but you have to remember that management never cares about IT and it is the last thing on their mind, so we never have any budget to do much of anything. -WS

 

[pparks1]

30 days, you have got to be kidding, that does not begin to be enough time to test. Respectfully you must not have any experience with large corporate setups. It takes from 3 to 6 months to do all the testing on a system.

Actually I do have experience with large corporate setups. I used to work as a systems admin for Thomson Reuters which is a fairly large multinational corporation. Also, I said that you could exercise the rearm trick up to 3 times.

Plus, in a large organization, you must utilize imaging technology to quickly deploy and install operating systems on machines. So, if you can re-image a machine in under 15 minutes and be right back in business with another 120 days total to test..i don't see the showstopper here.

And in any large corporation (like Thomson Reuters), we had enterprise agreements with Microsoft and multiple activation keys in order to use all of the software that we would need. We didn't screw around with $199 technet standard subscriptions.

 

[WindowsStar]

If you have a so big setup as 250 computers or more, you have the money to buy Technet Pro. Then you get access to Windows 7 Enterprise MAK key with 500 activations (you can also use that key to Win7 Pro), twice the number you have used now.
If you also need to use Office 2010 on every computer, you can run it without activating it. Use the same key on all, and then use the rearm function, and you can use Office 2010 for 120 days without activating. So I do not see the problem at all.

And a large company will use Windows 7 Enterprise and/or Windows 7 Professional, and not Ultimate or Home Premium. so you don't need 100 keys to them.

And if you need more then 500 activations, you had to get a second subscription before they reduced the number of keys, since the MAK key for Enterprise/Pro is the same now as before.

Maybe I mis-stated that. We have 250 TEST machines in all areas. We have many many thousands of production machines that are not tested. We just took a small cross sample of our machines for testing.

Respectfully, the problem with this logic is you are assuming we can use Enterprise everywhere and that all machines are on a Domain. IT in a huge corporate world is extremely difficult, you have to support 5 different version of Windows 7 and all systems seem to have their super special needs, not to mention all the Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista loads, then all the many servers Windows Based, *IX Based, and IBM OS Based. Office 2010, don’t get me started, there is Office 97 to Office 2010, WordPerfect 5.1 and up, opps did I forget to mention OpenOffice. This is a daunting task at best. -WS

 

[WindowsStar]

30 days, you have got to be kidding, that does not begin to be enough time to test. Respectfully you must not have any experience with large corporate setups. It takes from 3 to 6 months to do all the testing on a system.

Actually I do have experience with large corporate setups. I used to work as a systems admin for Thomson Reuters which is a fairly large multinational corporation. Also, I said that you could exercise the rearm trick up to 3 times.

Plus, in a large organization, you must utilize imaging technology to quickly deploy and install operating systems on machines. So, if you can re-image a machine in under 15 minutes and be right back in business with another 120 days total to test..i don't see the showstopper here.

And in any large corporation (like Thomson Reuters), we had enterprise agreements with Microsoft and multiple activation keys in order to use all of the software that we would need. We didn't screw around with $199 technet standard subscriptions.

Rearming would be an option however our users do not have any Admin Rights to do so, and not all machines are accessible remotely to have us (IT) do it.

I agree with using technology to deploy, but unfortunately IT is always the last thing on the CEO, or CEO Administration’s minds, no matter how much we beg and prove that we need money to support IT infrastructure our budget is always cut below the minimal for just keeping things working.

Yes we have agreements with Microsoft, but again you are forgetting that before the CEO and managements etc. will approve paying the money to install say Windows 7 they want us to do a tremendous amount of testing. Buying many TechNet Pro accounts give us the software and the testing without making the company commit to a purchase. And yes I know we will do it anyway but the CEO never looks at it like that.

 

[pparks1]

Rearming would be an option however our users do not have any Admin Rights to do so, and not all machines are accessible remotely to have us (IT) do it.

These don't sound like test machines to me, they sound to me like end user desktops.

 

[pparks1]

Respectfully, the problem with this logic is you are assuming we can use Enterprise everywhere and that all machines are on a Domain. IT in a huge corporate world is extremely difficult, you have to support 5 different version of Windows 7

Well, in an enterprise world, if you had an enterprise agreement than you would most likely deploy Windows 7 enterprise edition across the board. I have yet to work in a corporate environment where some machines ran Windows7 starter, some ran home premium, others ran enterprise and a few had Ultimate.

Having an enterprise agreement with Microsoft does not dictate you have to be on a domain.

Anyway, I think this conversation is pointless as a large corporate environment like you describe above would never in a million years purchase 1 license for Technet standard and expect to support their organization. My current company is only 300 people, some in Australia, some in Europe and some in the US and for what we use our Enterprise Agreement renewal cost is almost $250,000 a year. These are not technet organizations.

 

[WindowsStar]

Rearming would be an option however our users do not have any Admin Rights to do so, and not all machines are accessible remotely to have us (IT) do it.

These don't sound like test machines to me, they sound to me like end user desktops.

They are test machines, how are we supposed to test if the user is NOT using the machine? I am not an expert at all their software, nor do I claim to understand how they do their job or their sometimes extremely complex use of software. There is no way I can test all this in a lab. We have to deploy a cross section of test machines to the users so we can verify they work correctly.

Plus these machines have to be restricted just as if they were real machines or we would have an invalid test. We have to do real world tests.

 

[WindowsStar]

Respectfully, the problem with this logic is you are assuming we can use Enterprise everywhere and that all machines are on a Domain. IT in a huge corporate world is extremely difficult, you have to support 5 different version of Windows 7

Well, in an enterprise world, if you had an enterprise agreement than you would most likely deploy Windows 7 enterprise edition across the board. I have yet to work in a corporate environment where some machines ran Windows7 starter, some ran home premium, others ran enterprise and a few had Ultimate.

Having an enterprise agreement with Microsoft does not dictate you have to be on a domain.

Anyway, I think this conversation is pointless as a large corporate environment like you describe above would never in a million years purchase 1 license for Technet standard and expect to support their organization. My current company is only 300 people, some in Australia, some in Europe and some in the US and for what we use our Enterprise Agreement renewal cost is almost $250,000 a year.

Agreed: We agree to disagree. I never said we only purchased 1 TechNet Pro. All friends here and we are just sharing information. I know it difficult to understand my situation because you are not in it daily. I know this because when we hire new IT staff they are amazed at how different things are here from their previous job. Thanks for the discussion.

All good.