You asked for it and you’ve got it!  Ever since the original announcement at the beginning of 2010 that Microsoft would be expanding the list of qualifying products for the 50%* upfront discount through our Open Value Subscription program to include versions that are two versions old (N-2), the excitement has been great!  As you may recall, this promotion was originally slated to come to an end back in July of 2010; however, with all of the fantastic excitement around it, we extended the promotion to run through the month of September. 

Well, since September is now behind us (hard to believe how fast the year is going, isn’t it?), a question that I’ve been getting is, “So is it too late to still use the N-2 promotion?”  I am happy to let all of you know that we are continuing this offer throughout the remainder of 2010!  That’s right, you can now get the 50%* up-front discount when moving from qualifying N-1 or N-2 Office and Windows products to the latest versions of these Microsoft products (Windows 7 Professional and Office Professional Plus 2010).

Before you ask, here are the answers to some of the questions I get on this:

Question: What are the N-2 products that qualify? 

• Answer: If you own any of these products, you qualify for this promotion:
  • Office Professional Plus Edition 2010
  • Office Professional Edition 2010
  • Office Enterprise Edition 2007
  • Office Professional Plus Edition 2007
  • Office Ultimate Edition 2007
  • Office 2007 Professional Edition
  • Office 2003 Professional Edition
  • Office Small Business Edition 2007  (or Professional edition)
  • Office 2003 Small Business Edition (or Professional edition)
  • Office Standard 2007
  • Office Standard 2003
  • Windows 7 Professional
  • Windows Vista Business
  • Windows XP Professional

Question: Wait, I thought Office XP was a qualifying product when you launched this promotion in January.  Doesn’t Office XP still count?

• Answer: No, and here is why: What qualifies for the Office Up-to-date 50%* discount (UTD) now that Office 2010 is out?

Question: How does this promotion & discount work?

• Answer: Funny you should ask: How the Microsoft 50%* Up-to-date discount works and other answers.

Question: Where can I find out more about this promotion if I am not familiar with it already?

• Answer: I would suggest starting with the links below:
  • Big Announcement! 50% Off Up-To-Date (UTD) Discount Extended to Office XP and Windows XP owners worldwide!
  • How the Microsoft 50%* Up-to-date discount works and other answers.
  • Microsoft 50%* off N-2 discount promotion extended through September 30, 2010

Question: Does the client have to have Volume Licenses of Office or Windows to qualify?

• Answer: Nope.  If they have OEM, Retail box, or Volume Licenses of any of the qualifying versions listed above, then they can participate in this promotion.

If you are a Microsoft partner, be sure to let your clients who are still running the older versions of Windows and Office know about this promotion and how you can help them take advantage of it prior to the end of the year.  If you are a business owner, be sure to ask your Microsoft partner about this promotion and how you too can take advantage of it to save the 50%* off your up-front payment.

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman – Follow me on TWITTER, LinkedIn, and RSS and see “What I’m thinking”
Global Partner Experience Lead
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group
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