Category: MS Licensing

As I was reviewing the Microsoft Online Services Partner Agreement, I noticed this paragraph: Potential conflicts of interest. In situations where Company is receiving any compensation (money or otherwise) from a Customer for providing pre-sales support, or where Company has a fiduciary relationship with a Customer, Company has a potential conflict of interest. In these […]

You’ve read my rants about Microsoft licensing for years. Now you’ve got a chance to tell them what you think. One minor problem: they may not be listening. I submitted my feedback this morning, and here’s what I got in return: Your message did not reach some or all of the intended recipients. Subject: What […]

Ever since Microsoft bought Winternals two years ago, there has been a great deal of confusion about whether IT consultants are free to use the Sysinternals software utilities on their clients’ machines. The license agreement stated that the tools could only be used on “your” systems, not those owned by anyone else (including, it would […]

You know how they say that when you’re getting surgery, you should go with a surgeon who does that particular kind of surgery all the time? It’s good advice. It’s not that other surgeons can’t do a good job. It’s just that they’re more likely to be inefficient and make mistakes. Why? Because surgery is […]

I noted my reaction to Microsoft’s new license subscription model a few weeks ago. In anticipation of the program’s March 3 launch, Redmond Channel Partner magazine has published a story in which yours truly is quoted. They were even kind enough to put a link to The Schlog in the “More Information” section. Have I […]

Give a man a fish, and he’ll have food for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll have food for life — if he works really hard at it and is lucky enough to live near fish. Give a man a job and a supermarket — now we’re talking. That’s the message I’m […]

Kevin McLaughlin of CMP did just that. I said no.

Microsoft recently announced that American and Canadian customers will soon be able to buy licenses by subscription, as customers in many other parts of the world have been doing for some time. I’m already on record with my first impressions of this program, so here are my second impressions, formed after listening to today’s webcast. […]

I’m quoted today in an article at CRN.com about a forthcoming Microsoft licensing program. The new program will allow businesses to pay for software licenses on a subscription basis as opposed to an outright purchase of a perpetual license. Details of the program, which starts in March, will be released later this month. I’m not […]

Kevin McLaughlin of CRN has an article about the challenges small business IT consultants face with Microsoft licensing. Because I had commented on the blog posting that was the inspiration for the article, Mr. McLaughlin requested an interview with me as he was preparing it. From the voicemail he left me, I got the impression […]