Re: [Hampshire] 22% of Windows Installs Non-Genuine

Andy Smith <andy@???> wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 26, 2007 at 08:59:32AM +0000, John
> Hunt wrote:
>> There's one key and one iso for all the XP pro
>> installs there.
> Most likely because you have a volume license
> key specifically for that purpose; pretty common
> in any large organisation or medium-large
> enterprise.

....or small ones. We use MS Open Licencing.

MS ship a single CD - if you order one - and email
you a code for the 'eOpen' web site, where you can
get the licence key. It's up to me to ensure that
we only install the licences we've bought.

> It seems to me that once you get past a certain
> number of machines, the cost of VLK is more
> attractive than the real possibility of being
> shopped to Microsoft by a disgruntled person who
> gets rewarded for doing so.

I don't know what Volume Licencing prices are like
for commercial purchasers, but there's significant
charity discounts. XP Pro is usually UKP 55-60 per
licence.

Strictly speaking, the Volume-Licenced XP Pro is
an "upgrade" - you're supposed to have an existing
MS OS on the machine. Of course, this isn't a
problem as no PCs are shipped without Windows, are
they?


The machine that's (still) complaining is one of
25 licences, all installed. The other 24 are fine.

This is a shoot-self-in-foot situation for MS. I'm
over-worked; I don't have time to fault-find
licence problems. I'll have to spend time on it
eventually, which will take me away from
productive work.

This will impact the Society in the form of
project launch delays, which delays the payment of
funding, which hits the bottom line. When I go to
the IT Strategy meeting and say that MS Licencing
has cost me n hours in the last quarter, open
source looks even more attractive.

Nick.

--
Nick Chalk ................. once a Radio Designer
Confidence is failing to understand the problem.