technet New TechNet Subscription. Mistake?

[Joswin]

Hi folks,

I just purchased a technet subscription yesterday from the Microsoft Store online. Based upon a recommendation (Thanks Neobond :shifty:) and this article I saw on winsupersite.

Basically I have always coveted an MSDN subscription for the extensive software access (especially betas) and the like but they were too costly to ever justify. Even when I was very young I used to marvel at my uncle who worked for an IT firm and had access to every MS product imaginable (childhood flashbacks over).

So as an enthusiast with the hopes of entering into IT for employment at some point in future there isn't much out there in terms of discounts (I don't qualify for academic stuff for example). Full price Office products go for ?200+, Windows 7 around ?150 etc etc. Quickly turns into a small fortune, so I cannot keep current with Microsoft products.

Anyway. I saw the cheaper technet sub and thought 'Wow that's actually cheap enough to justify!'. I mean its not inexpensive, at ?160 its still a chunk of change. But for the software you get access too its a very appealing deal. Even with only 2 keys (apparently?) I can still upgrade my systems to Windows 8, get the latest version of Office to familiarize myself with it (I left Office at Office XP!) as well as getting access to some online courses that they offer with the package. There is also an extensive list of other software that wouldn't be normally accessible to me (cost!) that I can get some experience with as a bonus.

The catch? Well it's only for a year. If I want to continue using the software I have to renew right? That's fair enough, and I am fully prepared to renew each year. The software isn't being used in any business or production environments etc. I assumed I was well within the terms of use.

However doing what I should have done before purchase I started reading through the terms of use blurb. Phrases like "Evaluation before deployment" and "IT Professionals" cropped up..

So it's basically a glorified eval package? :/That I am not even entitled to use? :cry:

Thinking MSDN must be different I took a look, and it is, to an extent. MSDN talks about using its software to develop, test and showcase your software but other use (e.g. Installing Windows from it on your workstation) isn't covered. I googled around and basically read that I might as well pirate the stuff because any other use would invalidate the EULA thus making it illegal.

So what exactly are my options? I am thinking that I might get a refund because a bunch of licenses that aren't fit for my use are no good to me at all. Am I still entitled to a refund btw? I got a key which I put in on the site and was told that in 2 business days I would get my code to start using my account.... which has not happened yet.

What packages are out there that will fit my purposes if TechNet isn't. MSDN seems a bust too. I guess I am using the software for learning and educational purposes, but the Operating Systems I obviously wanted to use indefinitely as long as I subscribed...

[Routerbad]

You own the licenses and can do with them as you please, with a few caveats.

Don't sell the keys. Big nono

Don't install software on production systems. This is more geared toward business owners and IT staff.

Basically don't use their eval software to turn a profit in any way and you are good to go. They don't want a small business buying a technet subscription and installing software on all of their business workstations which are used to make them money. They have licensing packages for that.

I may be oversimplifying this but this is how I read into the EULA (the last time I actually read it).

[Roger H. Veteran]

You can use TechNet for evaluation purposes but you can also be a tech person evaluating stuff for home office as well. Doesn't say it has to be a large corporation or anything like that.

ALso you are supposed to stop using it if you aren't paying for it and you are supposed to ONLY use it for evaluation, not production systems BUT Microsoft is really not gonna come hunt you down. Well don't quote me on that, as you are supposed to be honest as well :p

[Nothing Here]

You can use TechNet for evaluation purposes but you can also be a tech person evaluating stuff for home office as well. Doesn't say it has to be a large corporation or anything like that.

ALso you are supposed to stop using it if you aren't paying for it and you are supposed to ONLY use it for evaluation, not production systems BUT Microsoft is really not gonna come hunt you down. Well don't quote me on that, as you are supposed to be honest as well :p

So, let me see if I have this right:

I currently have an MSDN sub, if at any time I decide not to renew, I have to officially remove Win8 from my home pc?

[SirEvan]

So, let me see if I have this right:

I currently have an MSDN sub, if at any time I decide not to renew, I have to officially remove Win8 from my home pc?

Bingo. with technet as well, once your subscription runs out, you loose the right to the license. its for evaluation of software and/or testing to see if your companies systems/software work with microsofts before buying/deploying it. Technet/MSDN is not a "cheaper price than paying retail to use office/server/xp/7/8/etc" everyone gets a technet subscription because they want 200k+ $ worth of software for 200$. That's not why they have it.

[Nothing Here]

I should have figured. I also have a VL agreement for my business. But I didn't think it was worth keeping since we only have 5 systems now. So I got the MSDN OS sub. But I may have to rethink all of this now.

[+John Teacake MVC]

You own the licenses and can do with them as you please, with a few caveats.

Don't sell the keys. Big nono

Don't install software on production systems. This is more geared toward business owners and IT staff.

Basically don't use their eval software to turn a profit in any way and you are good to go. They don't want a small business buying a technet subscription and installing software on all of their business workstations which are used to make them money. They have licensing packages for that.

I may be oversimplifying this but this is how I read into the EULA (the last time I actually read it).

Exactly!! Nothing wrong with it.

[Joswin]

Well I had to call them as my Subscriber ID had not arrived, and I had not even got so much as a confirmation email. So was starting to wonder what had happened.

Anyway the guy on the phone told me my account had been active for a few days, and I had been accepted. He read my ID out to me over the phone saying the email should have arrived by now but they have had system problems (don't they always have system problems?).

I took that opportunity to ask about my intended usage. Told him I wanted to use the software for the subscription period to gain experience with, and improve my knowledge of. He told me that's exactly what its there for and he had used it to help pass his Microsoft Certification years ago. :rofl: Then he gave me some examples of using it for deployment in my business which complicated the answer - because it didn't really relate to what I asked at all.

Anyhow on the strength of that first part I activated my subscription, fairly happy that I would be able to use it legally. Ironically, I got a response back from my original TechNet email telling me that I couldn't use it for what I mentioned. Well they didn't say couldn't, they pointed met o the full terms of use. *le sigh* :rolleyes:

I will just use it as I want, and if they cancel because its wrong usage -they cancel it. I'm tired of all the hassles just to get a straight answer from someone official.

When I ask them how long I can use it for (for example) its "No time limits, as long as you want, and if you renew you get no new keys you are just paying to continue using it" and then they go on to say "but you shouldn't use it long term its for evaluation".... please make up your mind?

[Routerbad]

Well I had to call them as my Subscriber ID had not arrived, and I had not even got so much as a confirmation email. So was starting to wonder what had happened.

Anyway the guy on the phone told me my account had been active for a few days, and I had been accepted. He read my ID out to me over the phone saying the email should have arrived by now but they have had system problems (don't they always have system problems?).

I took that opportunity to ask about my intended usage. Told him I wanted to use the software for the subscription period to gain experience with, and improve my knowledge of. He told me that's exactly what its there for and he had used it to help pass his Microsoft Certification years ago. :rofl: Then he gave me some examples of using it for deployment in my business which complicated the answer - because it didn't really relate to what I asked at all.

Anyhow on the strength of that first part I activated my subscription, fairly happy that I would be able to use it legally. Ironically, I got a response back from my original TechNet email telling me that I couldn't use it for what I mentioned. Well they didn't say couldn't, they pointed met o the full terms of use. *le sigh* :rolleyes:

I will just use it as I want, and if they cancel because its wrong usage -they cancel it. I'm tired of all the hassles just to get a straight answer from someone official.

When I ask them how long I can use it for (for example) its "No time limits, as long as you want, and if you renew you get no new keys you are just paying to continue using it" and then they go on to say "but you shouldn't use it long term its for evaluation".... please make up your mind?

They won't deactivate the keys, but there is a chance that they will not activate again after the sub runs out. That being said, I have let subs lapse and I can still use the keys. Also, if you log into technet even after the sub is out, you can still get to your keys. At least this was how it worked prior to the reworking of the EULA, which I haven't read yet.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

I am not going to get into a discussion of TechNet and MSDN licensing and usage rights, because that is something I do not fully understand, however, I will make this recommendation: Go into your account periodically, obtain the license keys for all of your licensed products, and choose the option to save the list of license keys as an XML file. That way, if you have to install something and you do not have Internet access, you can always look up the keys from your saved copy.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky