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A Note from your Licensing Specialists at PC Connection, Inc. and More Direct:
Okay, I think it’s time that we all step out of our comfort zone and talk about something we hate to talk about: software compliancy. First of all, we should acknowledge that almost every organization wants to remain compliant (I say ‘almost’ because I have run into a few that don’t care at all – not a smart strategy). Most companies want to be legal, and are NOT trying to rip Microsoft off. We know this, Microsoft knows this. BUT, we also are aware of a phenomenon I call ‘compliance drift’, which happens in certain segments of your IT environment where you sort of slowly drift out of compliance. I am not talking about upgrading to Exchange 2013 when all you only own 2003 – that is a blatant example of non-compliancy. I am talking more about areas that need to be watched closely, and checked once or twice per year. Beware compliance drift, especially now, because Microsoft has recently been challenging their customers compliancy status, sometimes aggressively. There are a few specific types of engagements that we are seeing Microsoft pursue
In each of these engagements you will be required to purchase any outstanding licensing, usually within 30 days. A good way to avoid getting a request to perform any of these compliancy checks is to proactively engage your software advisor, and even volunteer for a SAM engagement. It sounds counter intuitive, but doing this check on your own with a certified SAM partner is an indication that you are concerned about staying compliant, and will allow you to do this type of reconciliation on your own terms. SAM can be a powerful tool for compliance risk mitigation, and it is usually performed at no charge to the customer – the only charges would be any outstanding licenses, which most companies are willing to purchase in order to confirm that they are entirely, totally, 100% legal with all their Microsoft software.
Please note: if you do get contacted by Microsoft about any of the engagements listed above, contact us immediately. These are definitely not something that can be ignored, and sometimes a tactful response can sometimes buy you time and/or additional resources.
I hope this information helps. Please contact your PCC rep or specialist if you have any questions. Now, here are your headlines from April….
Windows XP Death March: Tips, Tools and Last-Ditch Support Options
A black day for many IT pros will be coming less than a year from now when the venerable Windows XP operating system hits its end of life. Experts are cautioning against panic, but it's looking kind of grim.
By Kurt Mackie RedmondMag.com April 28, 2013
Gartner: 'Prepare now' for the death of Windows XP; security at risk
Microsoft flips the 'off' switch on Windows XP and Office 2003 support a year from now, and with no more security updates and patches coming, corporate security could be at risk.
By Zack Whittaker ZDNet.com April 17, 2013
Windows 8, take 2? Let's see Start button, boot to desktop
Microsoft may be moving toward bringing back the Start button and allowing users to boot straight to the desktop with its coming Windows 8.1 release later this year.
By Mary Jo Foley CNET April 16, 2013
Office 2010 SP2 Beta Now Available for Download
As of today, customers can download the beta for Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 SP2. In addition to updates for the desktop and server apps, this beta also includes full-product SKUs of SharePoint and related server products, updated to install on Windows Server 2012.
By The Microsoft Office Sustained Engineering Team April 8, 2013
Microsoft Office Rumored to Have 'Gemini' Update Schedule
Microsoft may have a series of Office updates, code-named "Gemini," which are planned for arrival over the next year or so.
By Kurt Mackie RedmondMag.com April 11, 2013
SharePoint 2013, Cloud vs. On-Premises: What You Need To Know
Microsoft's plan to upgrade SharePoint in the cloud first is complete, but the puzzle for IT is still coming together. Here's a variety of factors you'll want to consider before making an on-site vs. cloud decision.
By Jeffrey Schwartz RedmondMag.com April 25, 2013
Microsoft Flings Open the Doors to Windows Azure Infrastructure Services
Microsoft takes on Amazon's cloud by announcing the general availability of its own Windows Azure Infrastructure Services offering and setting the stage for a price war.
By Pedro Hernandez eWeek.com April 16, 2013
SQL Server 2000 Losing Security Support on April 9
SQL Server 2000 is at the end of its product lifecycle and will lose its "extended support" from Microsoft on Tuesday, April 9.
By Kurt Mackie RedmondMag.com April 5, 2013
Blue Signals Faster Release Cycle
A faster product release cadence for both on-premises and hosted products, such as Exchange, Office, and Office 365, and for the Windows OS signals a change that significantly affects Microsoft's customers. At a time when many customers still use older versions, such as Windows XP, unless organizations adapt to faster releases, they may fall further behind, making eventual upgrades to currently supported versions more difficult. Rather than focusing on a single product, such as Windows 8 Blue (a code name), and its new features and updates, organizations should begin thinking about how to manage more frequent product releases across their entire IT infrastructure.
By Michael Cherry Directions on Microsoft April 22, 2013
Microsoft makes available 2013 release of Desktop Optimization Pack
Microsoft has made its MDOP 2013 virtualization and management tools available for download by volume licensees.
By Mary Jo Foley ZDNet.com April 10, 2013
BizTalk 2013 Catches Up to Platform
BizTalk Server 2013, released Apr. 1, 2013, is the first version of the product to work with Windows Server 2012 and SQL Server 2012, and the first version to qualify for product support on the Microsoft-hosted Windows Azure cloud platform. BizTalk Server is Microsoft's server product for application integration, business-to-business commerce, and related functions. The update extends BizTalk's supported life and enables customers to move BizTalk installations to Microsoft's latest platform, while Azure could make BizTalk installations easier to deploy and maintain for business-to-business commerce. However, BizTalk Server 2013 also brings a per-core licensing model that could increase future costs. BizTalk Server requires the following platform products:
Rob Helm Directions on Microsoft April 22, 2013
Microsoft delivers first cumulative update to Exchange 2013
The first cumulative update for Microsoft's Exchange Server 2013, which includes both bug fixes and new features, is available for download.
By Mary Jo Foley ZDNet.com April 2, 2013
Visual Studio 2012 Update 2 Available
Visual Studio (VS) 2012 Update 2 was released in Apr. 2013, delivering features and fixes to Microsoft's integrated development environment (IDE). Improvements in Update 2 (which is a cumulative release that includes Update 1) include the following:
By Rob Sanfilippo Directions on Microsoft April 15, 2013
SharePoint 2013 Required Update Arrives
SharePoint and Project 2013 servers received a public update (PU) in Mar. 2013. The update fixes several issues, including some that may arise during an upgrade from earlier versions of SharePoint and Project Server. Customers will have to apply the PU and run the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard on all servers before any future SharePoint updates can be applied. Versions of the update are available for SharePoint Server 2013, SharePoint Foundation 2013, and Project Server 2013. More information on PU1 for SharePoint 2013 is available at http://blogs.technet.com/b/stefan_gossner/archive/2013/03/21/march-public-update-for-sharepoint-2013-available-and-mandatory.aspx
Wes Miller Directions on Microsoft April 1, 2013
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