Hello out there in space,how are things?This
is where true professionals discuss IT issues
correct?

What you say is true in a marketing BS way. The current rebate is a good deal and assuming Longhorn will be released in 2007 means that new Open License customers might not be feel ripped off like many current and past Open License customers feel.
"Hey, what a great deal this is! Please forget that we told you the same thing 3 years ago, when it wasn't that great a deal at all!"
That stuff doesn't work but once. Why would someone buy boxed software instead of Open Licensing? Because they have already tried Open Licensing.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post and I have a few follow-up questions/comments in regards to your reply. As for marketing BS, let me quickly point out that my job is not marketing and I am not part of our marketing organization. Now for the comments in your reply:

1) What does Longhorn or future upgrades have to do with my original post? The intent of my original post was to show a direct comparison between the prices of a License through Open Business versus Retail Boxed product and had nothing to do with future upgrades vs. Software Assurance. (Which is another topic that is covered in the December 9th Licensing session replay referenced in my original post if you wish to hear about that topic).

2) Even without the Windows XP Pro Rebate in place, do a direct comparison of the price of a Windows XP Pro Upgrade purchased through Retail Box vs. Open Business: Windows XP Pro Retail Box Upgrade ERP: $199. Windows XP Pro Open Business Upgrade ERP: $186. Where is the rip-off there? Save the $13 per PC and buy your Windows XP Pro Upgrades through Open Business. Why buy the Retail Box Upgrade and spend more money? (Plus have to track the paper upgrade license for proof of ownership vs. having an electronic upgrade license that is tracked for you through Open Business)

3) Now, if you do factor in the Windows XP Pro Rebate mentioned in my earlier post (http://weblogs.asp.net/mssmallbiz/archive/2004/12/19/325196.aspx), this drops the per PC price to $168 per PC, which saves you $31 per PC AND adds the three years of upgrade protection in addition to upgrading your current PC to Windows XP Pro plus any additional Software Assurance benefits you may qualify for (http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/sa/offerings_chart.mspx). Again I’ll ask, where is the rip-off? $31 less per PC to upgrade to Windows XP Pro, plus you get three years of upgrade protection (and to play devil’s advocate, even if there were no new desktop O/S released in the next three years, you still saved $31 per PC for the Windows XP Pro upgrade itself), plus you get three years of SA benefits, plus you get an electronic upgrade license instead of paper, etc.

Please point out the “marketing BS” in that. It costs less, it gets you more, and it protects your license for you. Very straight-forward, no fluff, no BS. I think someone may have led you astray in what you thought Open License is and hopefully this helps clear up any misconceptions. You do not have to purchase Software Assurance in order to purchase through Open Business. You can buy the license only and you should instead of buying the license only through Retail Boxed software.

Not to mention .. I have XP pro on eopen license that I had back as of 4/30/2003 [when 2k3 server shipped so I had grandfathered TScals. All I had to do was go to my sbs server, enter the license agreement and voila...no crawling on the floor with a magnifying glass reading product key codes off the stickers on the Dell machines... easy!

Good to have another resource.

I still have a hard time getting techs to accept SBS.

thanks

Your math doesn't work. You are only going to be buying me coffee on business days and there are only about 240 of those a year. So it is actually more like $1.19 per day.

But there is another, more serious, problem with your proposal. Microsoft won't give me a 3-year interest free loan on that $855. I have to pay it all up front, making it much more costly than spreading it over the lifetime of the license.

Thank you for your feedback. In response:

1) Yes, if you count only business days, it will be less than 1,095 (note I did not state business days in my example). Even at $1.19 vs. 78 cents, (and I believe I have $1.00 for the coffee in the "Office Pro Espresso" doc I referenced above), the comparison is relatively the same and I think the "spirit" of the example remains. Besides, the cost of coffee will vary by location, size, etc. (For instance, if I got my Venti, skim, vanilla latte at Starbucks each day, that would provide Office Pro 2003 for a 5 user business through this example, not just one.)

2) What do you mean that "Microsoft won't give me a 3-year interest free loan on that $855. I have to pay it all up front, making it much more costly than spreading it over the lifetime of the license,"? Through Open Value, the $855 is broken into three equal annual payments, no interest, no hidden costs, no finance charges, and you don't have to pay it all up front. You pay three equal payments over three years. So in a way, yes, we are giving you a 3-year interest free loan on that $855. For more details on the Open License Value Program, please go to: http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/open/openvalue.mspx

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman
Small Business Development Manager – U.S. Central Region
 
Join the excitement! New Small Business Channel Community:
1) Community SharePoint Site: http://www.mssmallbiz.com/  - It’s Making HEADLINES!!*
2) Online User Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mssmallbiz
3) MS Small Business Blog: http://weblogs.asp.net/mssmallbiz/
Enabling millions of small businesses and partners to realize their full potential 

* Some of the headlines on the NEW MS Small Business Channel Site:
- http://www.integratedmar.com/ecl-usa/story.cfm?item=18651
- http://crn.com/sections/breakingnews/breakingnews.jhtml?articleid=30000364
- http://www.msmvps.com/bradley/archive/2004/08/25/12351.aspx

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights

Did you ever have a job selling children's encyclopaedias? The sales pitch is very similar.

No, I never did. I have sold many licenses of Encarta (http://www.microsoft.com/products/encarta/default.mspx) in my life... Maybe I can look into that after retirement (which is quite some time away). :-)

Thanks for the feedback and have a great day,

Eric Ligman
Small Business Development Manager – U.S. Central Region
 
Join the excitement! New Small Business Channel Community:
1) Community SharePoint Site: http://www.mssmallbiz.com/  - It’s Making HEADLINES!!*
2) Online User Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mssmallbiz
3) MS Small Business Blog: http://weblogs.asp.net/mssmallbiz/
Enabling millions of small businesses and partners to realize their full potential 

* Some of the headlines on the NEW MS Small Business Channel Site:
- http://www.integratedmar.com/ecl-usa/story.cfm?item=18651
- http://crn.com/sections/breakingnews/breakingnews.jhtml?articleid=30000364
- http://www.msmvps.com/bradley/archive/2004/08/25/12351.aspx

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights

You do make a great case there Eric. The value proposition is pretty sound and should appeal to the astute bean-counterish controllers of the SMB purse strings. BUT, my own experience as a VAR was that far too many of the smaller shops are totally obsessed with acquisition costs. Locking in to ANYTHING with fixed costs long-term is a hard pill to swallow for many. Also the perception is there that a lot more software is going to get cheaper, or even be given away in the future. Thank the open-source world for that one!

Do we really need MS marketing crap on MS blogs?

Paul,

If you are not looking for MS Marketing, you picked the right place. Neither I nor my team are associated with MS Marketing nor are we part of the MS Marketing group. We are part of the field organization and are structured to help the Small Business Channel partners understand and explain the various options of purchasing and selling Microsoft solutions for their customers.

So if your question was an open-ended one, I would suggest not subscribing to any of the marketing groups blogs and you should be covered. If your question was geared toward my post, I would inquire as to what part of explaining to the Small Business customers and Channel members how to spend less to acquire our solutions while also explaining by example how the popular misconceptions regarding the pricing of MS software are inaccurate would be classified as “marketing cXXp?” Why should a Small Business or channel partner not know their options to save money?

All too often articles, posts, etc. are written by self-proclaimed “informed” individuals claiming that Microsoft is out to “get more money” or “raise prices again,” etc. The fact is, one of my team’s goals is specifically to show the Small Business partners how to get their customers the most from every IT dollar they spend on Microsoft technologies by showing them how to get more for less. Just one example of this is my earlier post regarding how to save money on all Microsoft purchases - http://weblogs.asp.net/mssmallbiz/archive/2004/12/20/327239.aspx">http://weblogs.asp.net/mssmallbiz/archive/2004/12/20/327239.aspx - just by taking advantage of the discounts they already qualify for. Another example is my earlier post explaining to Small Businesses and channel partners how to get three free years of upgrades - http://weblogs.asp.net/mssmallbiz/archive/2004/12/19/325196.aspx">http://weblogs.asp.net/mssmallbiz/archive/2004/12/19/325196.aspx - on their desktop O/S instead of spending more on a one-time upgrade.

I’ve even seen articles out there stating, “With Microsoft’s ever increasing price of Office…” Give me a break. Who’s the research person behind that story? FYI, Office Pro 4.3 had an ERP of $599. Office Pro 7.0 had an ERP of $599. Office Pro 97 had an ERP of $599. What’s the ERP of Office Pro 2003? $499. Office Pro 2003 has an ERP of $100 LESS than prior versions of Office Pro. Same holds true for Office Standard 2003. The current ERP is $100 less than previous versions of Office Standard.

So to sum up, are we out here posting “marketing cXXp?” If you consider showing Small Businesses and our channel partners how to spend less and save money while also helping set the record straight, then I guess we are. In speaking with several channel partners and Small Businesses who have used our money saving tips in the past though, I have never had any of them tell me that helping them save their hard-earned money was considered “marketing cXXp” in their minds.

Hopefully this helps clarify the purpose of our blog a little more and our intentions. In no way is it intended to be a marketing engine. We’re here to be direct and tell it like it is, just like the information posted on our site: http://www.mssmallbiz.com.

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman
Small Business Development Manager – U.S. Central Region

Join the excitement! New Small Business Channel Community:
1) Community SharePoint Site: http://www.mssmallbiz.com/ - It’s Making HEADLINES!!*
2) Online User Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mssmallbiz
3) MS Small Business Blog: http://weblogs.asp.net/mssmallbiz/
Enabling millions of small businesses and partners to realize their full potential

* Some of the headlines on the NEW MS Small Business Channel Site:
- http://www.integratedmar.com/ecl-usa/story.cfm?item=18651
- http://crn.com/sections/breakingnews/breakingnews.jhtml?articleid=30000364
- http://www.msmvps.com/bradley/archive/2004/08/25/12351.aspx

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights