Deploying Concurrent or Site Licensed Software

[SteveBentley]

Am alone in thinking that software that is sold with a concurrent/site/volume license that doesn't have at least one of

• MSI Package
• Silent/scripted install options
• ability to run it from a network share

(and documentation for how to make it work)

is fundamentally unfit for purpose?

Some of the companies I've had the misfortune of dealing with recently seem to be living in cloud cuckoo land, thinking we have time to visit each computer individually to install the app they've charged us a small fortune for.

[glennda]

No you are not - is it software designed purely for education by any chance?

[skunk]

It is incompatible with a network environment. Send it back!

[TheLibrarian]

I am not allowed to rant about this in the office; I can rant for ages about this sort of thing and "activation".

It's right up there with Adobe products and their need to try to hook into everything.


Come the revolution they'll be the first against the wall.

[skunk]

Amen to that Librarian!

[rich_tech]

I started noticing this myself recently, I do indeed get annoyed by this practice with companies that offer a "network" solution or installation then fail to deliver on any of the things mentioned in the first post, most companies seem to think making a single installation is easy enough and going around each PC is a laugh then getting the stuff installed, a certain music package was a recent example, going from a small installation to something in excess of 40gb without providing any delivery method, just a server application to "authenticate" to.

Quite annoying

[SimpleSi]

most companies seem to think making a single installation is easy enough and going around each PC is a laugh then getting the stuff installed,

I actually appreciate their approach - its the only way I get any exercise!

And of course, it helps with the fault reporting as I get the teacher telling me that their comptuter hasn''t worked for the past year but they forgot to tell me!

Si

[garethedmondson]

As @rich_tech points out the music one was a pain. CS3 is another.

Gareth

[glennda]

I actually appreciate their approach - its the only way I get any exercise!

And of course, it helps with the fault reporting as I get the teacher telling me that their comptuter hasn''t worked for the past year but they forgot to tell me!

Si

It's ok with under 100 when you start hitting 900 desktops it gets a bit much!!

[SYNACK]

I wish that any of the 'network' software that we got came with a propper network deployment method. None of the educational tripe we pay lots of money for has these features which I to consider to be base features for network software. This is systemic as even MS Office now no longer works with GPO deployment so MS can sell their full deployment suite that is heavier than a stellar core fragment. Its ridiculous, planned lack of features to either make more money or flat out short change the customer.

Sadly the free stuff is way better in this regard, paint.net, pivot stick figure animator, even the adobe filth. Madness.

[AngryTechnician]

even MS Office now no longer works with GPO deployment so MS can sell their full deployment suite that is heavier than a stellar core fragment.

Local Update Publisher can be used instead of SCCM/SCE. I use it for almost all my installations now and it works great with Office.

Note that if you're using Windows 7 SP1, you need a hotfix due to a bug in the Windows Update agent which affects SCE as well as LUP. Luckily you can deploy the hotfix using LUP too by adapting the instructions for SCE here (use the DISM method halfway down the page, it works better).

[SteveBentley]

No you are not - is it software designed purely for education by any chance?

Actually no, it's stuff that's usually used in industry but they sell academic licenses to unis, but think that adding a license server and making it a bit cheaper is all they have to do.

I wish I could send it back, but it's allegedly "Industry standard" and what they need to teach.