Your school may be able to get MS Windows for a tiny fraction of the usual price

[VeryPC]

Hi folks,

 

We wanted to make everyone aware that VeryPC were recently made a Microsoft® named partner. One thing this means is that we can supply Windows® National Academic Licences with our PCs at a tiny fraction of the usual price. The saving on the Windows licence is huuge and we're committed to passing that saving on to our qualifying academic institution customers so that all the benefit goes where intended, to schools! The principle of these Microsoft technology access programs (formerly known as Shape the Future) is to promote IT and education for the next generation, so we're really glad to be part of bringing this benefit to the learners of today. The computing devices can be for student educational use or staff professional use.

 

We've written an article on our website all about it. Click through for a read.

 

So how does a school qualify for Windows National Academic Licensing?

There are 3 criteria that your purchase and your educational establishment must meet to qualify for Windows National Academic Licensing at a tiny fraction of the usual price:

 

1. Licence must be part of a new computing device from a named Microsoft partner.
   
2. School must be at least 50% government funded.
   
3. School must teach pupils in age range 5-19 years old.
   

If you need to be sure, just contact VeryPC and we can confirm whether you qualify or not:

 

Call 0845 0345 017 or 0114 321 8609 or email [email protected] to find out if you qualify.

 

 

Case in point. Pirate PCs with National Academic Licence

We were able to provide these big savings to one of our favourite customers, Forefield Junior School. As well as almost eliminating the cost of the operating system from their quote, we also got to have a bit of fun by designing a custom front-plate for their Broadleaf Access desktop PCs. The full colour custom front-plates were based on the Pirate ship in their playground and went down very well indeed. We're told they got "gasps from dropped jaws" followed by comments like "awesome", "they are so cool" and "is that really our pirate ship?" from the kids and "gorgeous", "fabulous" and "is that really our pirate ship?" from the adults. Steve Marriott, who manages the IT for Forefield Junior School also told us that the head teacher keeps popping into the IT suite to say "it just looks so good in here."

 

 

I'll give the last words to Steve, who recently said:

 

"VeryPC are now definitely our supplier of choice. If you've had a quote in the past and not been able to justify the additional cost, give them another go and you just may see a difference. If you've never been quoted before, I would highly recommend that you give them a shot."

 

---------------------------------------

 

Thanks for reading, and if you'd like to know more, head over to the article on our website » or contact us to find out if your school can get Windows National Academic Licensing.

 

Call 0845 0345 017 or 0114 321 8609 or email [email protected] to find out if you qualify.

 

 

Al (marketing)

Edited February 12, 2015 by VeryPC

[sonofsanta]

 

TAP licensing was basically the difference between you guys and the other two quotes last Summer. Which means it's looking good for when I start talking to you in a couple of months about the new batch we want this summer it made a massive difference to our costs last year - it's something like a £60-70 discount per device, is it not? Properly awesome stuff from MS.

 

And having just saved a big chunk by opting for Unifi over Ruckus, I can spend that extra money on more & better PCs instead...

[hardtailstar]

I want that case!!

[sonofsanta]

Also, @StevieM - does this mean you need to install a pair of giant USB ports and some giant audio ports on your pirate ship now? So it all matches up?

[Steve21]

YARRR! That's all...

 

Steve

[StevieM]

Also, @StevieM - does this mean you need to install a pair of giant USB ports and some giant audio ports on your pirate ship now? So it all matches up?

 

I think I've got a couple of old RS232 25-pin serials knocking around, but any port in a storm, eh?

[VeryPC]

Hi folks,

 

I have been remiss in my posting I'm afraid.

 

There is someone really important who I have forgotten to mention in this. He worked from the photo of the playground pirate ship that Forefield provided and turned it into the full pirate PC front plate design you see below. He was also instrumental in setting up the full colour plate branding service we offer too.

 

 

A big thank you to Mr William Meally, VeryPC's own Hand of Marketing, for your awesome work on this, and indeed all the other, custom branding projects you've worked on. Stellar job as always mate!

 

Cheers,

 

Al, Head of Marketing

[StevieM]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]29205[/ATTACH]

 

A big thank you to Mr William Meally, VeryPC's own Hand of Marketing, for your awesome work on this, and indeed all the other, custom branding projects you've worked on. Stellar job as always mate!

 

Yay, Will! I second that. The design blew me out of the water when I first saw it. Will was also very accommodating (and remarkably prompt) to make minor adjustments at my behest. Cheers, buddy!

[VeryPC]

We're in the news!

 

Channel reseller News (CRN) has published an article announcing that VeryPC are now a named Microsoft partner able to supply Windows National Academic licences under the technology access programs:

 

VeryPC gets nod for Microsoft schools PC scheme - 13 Feb 2015 - CRN UK News

 

Do leave a comment on the linked page if you feel so inclined - active pages tend to perform better in web-searches so you'll be doing us a favour if you do.

 

Cheers,

 

Al

[VeryPC]

Good neeeews everybody!

 

CRN channelweb.co.uk decided that VeryPC being made a Named Microsoft Partner warranted our own mini-feature in their regular "Good news, bad news" update:

 

Good times, bad times - 23 Feb 2015 - CRN UK News

 

Yes, we ARE one of the "good times" stories. How dare you!

 

Al (marketing)

[VeryPC]

---National Academic Licensing update MARCH 18th 2015---

 

Microsoft have changed the qualifying criteria for Windows National Academic Licences. The changes are outlined below, but the highlight is that Windows National Academic Licences are now only available as PRO and only for laptops and 2-in-1 devices up to the maximum specs outlined below. There is no standard National Academic Licence available in the UK

 

PREVIOUSLY:

 

• Windows 8.1 Pro National Academic Licence was available to qualifying institutions at a tiny fraction of the usual price on all your new PCs from a Microsoft Named Partner such as VeryPC.
  
• All current VeryPC orders with the above licence will be unaffected by the new conditions outlined below.
  

 

NOW:

 

• Windows 8.1 Pro National Academic Licence is now ONLY available to qualifying institutions on laptops and 2-in-1 devices up to a maximum specification as follows:
  

[TABLE=class: grid, width: 350]

[TR]

[TD=colspan: 2]Notebooks

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Screen Sized[/TD]

[TD]≤14.1”[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]RAM[/TD]

[TD]≤4GB[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Storage[/TD]

[TD]≤64GB SSD or eMMC or

≤500 GB HDD[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Processor (Guideline -TBC)[/TD]

[TD]Atom, Pentium[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=colspan: 2]2-in-1[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Screen size[/TD]

[TD]≤12.5”[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Storage[/TD]

[TD]≤64GB SSD or eMMC or

≤500 GB HDD[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Processor (Guideline -TBC)[/TD]

[TD]Atom, Pentium, Core-M

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

• Assuming the above device conditions, the Windows 8.1 Pro National Academic licence will cost a bit more than previously. We’re not allowed to talk about specific pricing, but let’s describe it as a “small” fraction (as opposed to “tiny”) of the usual price.
  

 

So in total, the new qualification for National Academic licensing is as follows:

 

• Licence must be part of a laptop or 2-in-1 up to the max spec outlined above.
  
• Device must be supplied by a Microsoft Named Partner, such as VeryPC.
  
• Your educational establishment must be at least 50% government funded.
  
• Your student age range must be between 5-19.
  

 

If you need further clarification, feel free to call us on 0845 0345 017 or 0114 321 8609 (choose option 1 for sales/product enquiries) or email us on [email protected]. We’ll be happy to answer your questions until you feel completely comfortable with your position.

 

Al (VeryPC Marketing)

[StevieM]

I hope Microsoft are going to compensate you for that marketing campaign you've just paid for!

[fiza]

Bugger!!!

[lmgtfy]

OMG this is awful news and just before I start getting quotes for replacement desktop. How can Microsoft spring this on everyone its going to ramp up the cost of any desktop by £50+ pounds.

[fiza]

OMG this is awful news and just before I start getting quotes for replacement desktop. How can Microsoft spring this on everyone its going to ramp up the cost of any desktop by £50+ pounds.

 

You said it!

This has completely messed my budget up. I had enough money left to tech refresh based on the old pricing and now I have to add £50 per unit. MS should have given fair warning.

[lmgtfy]

Yea it seems really unfair not only to us as the buyer but also to @VeryPC who would have secured many more customers with this deal. Is this the same for every supplier do you know? please do not tell me I'll be subjected to buying through Zoostorm again because they will be cheaper I'd rather go without.

 

In the mean time people without genuine Windows get a free upgrade to the latest genuine windows Windows 10 Upgrades Will Be Free—Even For Pirated Copies Ideal! thanks Microsoft looking after schools again.

[VeryPC]

Is this the same for every supplier do you know?

Yep we're all in the same boat. The qualifying conditions for the Windows National Academic Licence have changed so from now on all the UK Microsoft Named Partners can only supply it according to the new conditions.

 

Al

[sonofsanta]

So running the numbers, based on what I paid for PCs last year and what I was planning spec-wise this year, I was hoping to get machines for around £275 each this year. The £57 cost of an OEM sticker puts this up by over 20%. Which means - given that the amount of money I asked for a year ago to fund this summer's purchases is fixed - that I have to get 16% fewer machines. Which is 26 fewer computers than I had planned/needed to get, because I now need to spend an unexpected £7k+ on OEM stickers at zero notice.

 

If they'd made this announcement six weeks later, I'd have had this summer's purchases sewn up already. The timing of the announcement seems carefully designed to mean no-one has gone through the tender process for summer yet.

 

I mean, seriously, how much money were they losing from this, there can't be that many UK schools purcashing PCs in the scheme of things. Surely the small financial loss was worth the good will it gained them. I cannot fathom why they've done this.

 

 

GRAAAAAAAARRGGHH

 

 

BRING ME YOUR MICROSOFT REPS, THAT I MAY DESTROY THEM WITH MY RIGHTEOUS ANGER

 

LET THEM FEEL THE AGONY OF TEN THOUSAND CAT5 PATCH CABLES PIERCING THEIR BLOATED FLESH AND ENTANGLING THEM IN MY SERVER CORE

 

LET THEM BE WITNESS UNTO MY FURY AS I DETAIL PRECISELY HOW SMALL MY FUNDS ARE IN COMPARISON TO THEIRS, YET HOW MAGNIFICENT MY RAGE IS IN COMPARISON TO THEIR PETTY VILLAINY

 

LET THEM NEVER DARE CROSS US AGAIN!

 

[/angry]*

 

*not really. I've not stopped complaining to everyone I've seen all morning.

[VeryPC]

I feel for you @sonofsanta I really do.

 

Be sure to bring your requirements to us though so we can see what we can do for you. We'll do our best to get you as close as possible to that 100% as we can to make up for the licensing dissappointment.

 

Al

[tmcd35]

So running the numbers, based on what I paid for PCs last year and what I was planning spec-wise this year, I was hoping to get machines for around £275 each this year. The £57 cost of an OEM sticker puts this up by over 20%. Which means - given that the amount of money I asked for a year ago to fund this summer's purchases is fixed - that I have to get 16% fewer machines. Which is 26 fewer computers than I had planned/needed to get, because I now need to spend an unexpected £7k+ on OEM stickers at zero notice.

 

It's probably worth pointing out that while it's not going to be a cheap as the old TAP deal, most OEM shouldn't be paying the full "£57 OEM cost" you might purchase as an individual system builder from the likes of eBuyer, especially the really big players like Dell, HP, et al. They'll have their own OEM agreements with MS and be under NDA's regarding the price. The volumes they buy in mean it's likely to be closer to the £10-30 price bracket, depending on the OEM.

 

For my part the base cost for a system is, was, and always will be £450 per unit PC or Laptop. All this does is revises down the spec I can get rather than reduce the number of machines.

[Boredguy]

This is partly why I never plan anything these days until I know what our yearly budget allocation will be. Been left high and dry over the years with plans to replace X and Y in a years time to find out that we don't have the money.

 

What spec were you aiming for, as I can see an Acer with i3 Processor and 4Gb ram for £255 ex Vat (base unit only) from one of our suppliers websites.

[sonofsanta]

Don't worry Al @VeryPC, you were on my list to talk to next month anyway. I had high hopes I might get to buy from you this year as well, as you only lost out by the cost of the TAP licence last year... I suppose that still holds true now, in that everyone has to charge me for the OEM again. Grrr.

 

Spec-wise was only Pentium, 4GB, 128GB SSD, but we always buy with a 5 year warranty, which I suspect the Acer wouldn't have @Boredguy. Oh, and KB+M; the PCs we're replacing have PS2 peripherals, and any new PC will have a single PS2 port at most. Plus they could do with being new and less full of crumbs.

 

My problem is that my budget allocation is based on what I ask for, and I base what I'm asking for on what I expect the cost to be with some small wiggle room. "Small wiggle room" can't cope with +20%, though.