Microsoft's 'Get Legal' Program
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Microsoft is providing businesses with unlicensed software—and the partners supporting them—a new option to purchase Windows XP. Yeah, Windows XP. |
It would be so easy to dis Vista, particularly given last week's XP OEM licensing extension, but Microsoft's program makes sense. Windows XP is the right focus.
The new program, GGWA (Get Genuine Windows Agreement), complements another, GGK (Get Genuine Kit), launched in summer 2006. Microsoft channel partners fulfill both programs, which provide businesses a way to get legal copies of Windows XP on PCs that shipped without operating systems or that are loaded with unlicensed software.
"The channel partner serves our mutual customer and continues to be that trusted advisor," Cori Hartje, Microsoft's Genuine Software Initiative director, told me this afternoon.
Microsoft is more concerned about getting business customers legal than chasing them down and branding them as software pirates. Through the GGK program, Microsoft partners provide CD media to businesses, which Hartje said was too much hassle for many IT organizations.
"This latest offer fills in a hole we had in this area," she conceded.
Through GGWA, Microsoft partners provide businesses with licenses rather than actual media, in what Hartje described as a "volume-licensing kind of way." While GGWA is fulfilled and managed like volume-license purchases, there is no association with Open, Select or other plans.
"It's a single transaction," she said. "This is a legalization offer."
Both programs seek to resolve a legalization licensing issue specific to Windows and not other Microsoft software. Businesses purchase full Windows licenses on new PCs; volume-licensing programs offer upgrades. Technically, businesses cannot use their volume-licensing contracts to put software on PCs that Hartje described as "naked" or those with unlicensed operating systems.
"Because XP has been sold on new PCs, there wasn't an easy licensing option," she said.
Partners set GGWA pricing, which Hartje estimated would be between $165 and $200 per Windows XP Professional license. She expects the channel will approach customers with unlicensed software about getting legal.
"Partners know they have customers in this situation, but they've been quiet about it because they didn't have a solution to offer them," Hartje said.
The focus on XP licensing isn't surprising, given that it's the operating system running on most Windows PCs. Microsoft also is banking on Activation 2.0 curbing Vista piracy.
That said, "Time will tell if this is a Vista solution," Hartje said, referring to possible future enhancements to the program.
In the meantime, partners could provide an upgrade path to Vista through the Software Assurance program, which isn't required to participate in GGWA.
I asked Hartje about plans for promoting the program, since an anti-piracy campaign would be good marketing cover for partners. She said Microsoft plans no broad marketing program, although Microsoft operations in different geographies might do some marketing.
The real movers of this program will be Microsoft channel partners.
Comments (6)
I wonder if VCSY is rubbing this law in MSFT's face
Meet-and-Confer: Establishing Your Process to Comply with the New Regime
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:lU_sJ1QnshkJ:sochaconsulting.com/inrediscovery/archives/1833+Meet+and+Confer+Management+Consultants,+LLC&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us&client=firefox-a
It?s not just a good idea to talk with your opponents early and often ? it?s now the law. Courts are requiring parties to ?meet-and-confer? and at least one jurisdiction has determined that email ?meetings? do not count. But what should you reveal in the meet-and-confer? Our speakers will show you how to put the meet-and-confer to its best use ? not only to meet your obligations under the new rules but to help your case. They?ll also give you guidelines on what types of information in house counsel and the firms that advise them need to obtain from the other members of the discovery team in order to successfully master the ?meet-and-confer? under the new rules. Of course, no discussion of the meet-and-confer would be complete without a talk on how the Texas courts are dealing with this issue.
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:QvwyREC3nrwJ:www.mckinneytexas.org/agendas/councilmeetings/aug%25202nd%2520mtg/1.%2520Work%2520Session/Meet%2520%26%2520Confer/Texas%2520Police%2520Chiefs%2520Association.doc+Meet+and+Confer+Management+Consultants,+LLC&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Posted by I-Man | October 2, 2007 9:04 PM
I wonder if VCSY is rubbing this law in Microsoft's face?
http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/Stocks_%28A_to_Z%29/Stocks_M/threadview?m=tm&bn=12004&tid=1299153&mid=1299153&tof=4&frt=2
Meet-and-Confer: Establishing Your Process to Comply with the New Regime
It?s not just a good idea to talk with your opponents early and often ? it?s now the law. Courts are requiring parties to ?meet-and-confer? and at least one jurisdiction has determined that email ?meetings? do not count. But what should you reveal in the meet-and-confer? Our speakers will show you how to put the meet-and-confer to its best use ? not only to meet your obligations under the new rules but to help your case. They?ll also give you guidelines on what types of information in house counsel and the firms that advise them need to obtain from the other members of the discovery team in order to successfully master the ?meet-and-confer? under the new rules. Of course, no discussion of the meet-and-confer would be complete without a talk on how the Texas courts are dealing with this issue.
Posted by I-Man | October 2, 2007 9:49 PM
Staying right on topic this time;
US $1m steal & squeal program extended
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/10/02/microsoft_uk_nabs_grey_market_software_vendor/
Quote;
"Meanwhile stateside, The Business Software Alliance is outing pirates by placing a bounty on their heads. The group announced it is extending its "Blow The Whistle" campaign which offers $1m to workers who squeal on their employers."
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Piracy is not the way to go. Pay Micro$oft if you really have to use their inferior software. Otherwise move to a modern OS and free open source Office Suite like OpenOffice or KOffice.
While I would not expect "partners" or "repair shops" to turn in their custormers, as that is their income source. Disgruntled employees are the main target of the BSA and MS.
Posted by chips | October 3, 2007 12:27 AM
From Micro$oft's point of view, the legalization offer makes sense. It hits two birds with one stone. It brings in revenue and at the same time still gets their product to users that would not have gotten Vista anyway (or would have been pissed off when Vista messes them up).
Of course, the best solution would have been to get a better alternative such as Linux or BSD, but you can't expect Micro$oft to offer that. But others can offer it, and that's a good business opportunity for Micro$oft's competitors right there.
Posted by Maddog | October 3, 2007 4:43 AM
I wonder if this will be an option for customers that have XP home and would like to move into volume licensing. Since XP home does not qualify for the Vista Business upgrade under the Open License agreements this could be a great benifit to customers. Our customers frequently purchase systems with home OS software OEM and then have problems upgrading into business. If we are able to use this path for them it can save a lot of money and headachs.
Posted by Jake | October 3, 2007 4:55 PM
Microsoft Marketing to OS Pirates, Just Agree to Audits!
http://slashdot.org/articles/07/10/03/1246212.shtml
Some rather good comments to this link.
Posted by chips | October 3, 2007 7:18 PM