[windows software] Microsoft reply to your MoU questions

[smithson83]

Upgrades are only free before 29 July 2016.

 

So they should get going then, if they haven't done it by then, again, that's on them... And after July any new computer will come with it, so not a problem...

[MrPstv]

Why do we have to go through resellers?

 

Can't we/aren't we capable of buying the licences direct?

 

If schools need to make savings this would be a start!

[kevin_lane]

not 100% but I believe you can think you have to go through a company called west coats, I believe who Microsoft sell the licences through these people then resellers go through them

I might be wrong but when I look at my account through the portal its always westcoast that place the order

Welcome to Westcoast

[garethEds]

Windows 10 - Corporate

 

That's the MS link (Yep MS link )

 

 

 

The bit I don't get is I assumed that meant only within the school not at home :s Or does that mean staff can have it free at home too?

 

Steve

 

hi Steve,

 

The page mentions personal computers:

 

"Windows 10 Education, offered as an upgrade license, is permitted for use during school and beyond graduation on personal computers. If required, schools can also manage certain attributes of the student’s device on the school’s domain."

[Gibson335]

@Dos_Box:

 

Again, many thanks for organising this. Currently, I am still hearing two very different stories from resellers:

 

The first, is that price increases of between 14-19% are being applied in July 2016, July 2017 and again in July 2018, the implication being that the base price may be around 60% more expensive at its high end.

 

The second, is that those price increases will be applied, but will only affect those taking out new agreements during that same period, and that costs for those renewing an agreement from July 2018 will be only 14-19% higher than they are now.

 

Is there any chance this could be run by your MS contact in order to provide some clarity - if not precise figures, which I don't expect?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

Edited February 4, 2016 by elsiegee40

[Steve21]

 

"Windows 10 Education, offered as an upgrade license, is permitted for use during school and beyond graduation on personal computers. If required, schools can also manage certain attributes of the student’s device on the school’s domain."

 

I took that as BYOD though, as the next bit is about managing student device's on a domain. As in being able to restrict things while at school? Maybe I'm misreading that part though

 

Thanks,

Steve

[Ephelyon]

Windows 10 Education, offered as an upgrade license, is permitted for use during school and beyond graduation on personal computers.

 

@garethedmondson, this part is surely relevant... they would need to have an earlier version of Windows already, if it works the same way as standard Volume Licensing arrangements at least?

[SJA]

@Dos_Box:

 

Again, many thanks for organising this. Currently, I am still hearing two very different stories from resellers:

 

The first, is that price increases of between 14-19% are being applied in July 2016, July 2017 and again in July 2018, the implication being that the base price may be around 60% more expensive at its high end.

 

The second, is that those price increases will be applied, but will only affect those taking out new agreements during that same period, and that costs for those renewing an agreement from July 2018 will be only 14-19% higher than they are now.

 

Is there any chance this could be run by your MS contact in order to provide some clarity - if not precise figures, which I don't expect?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

Yes, it would be very interesting to clarify that. We are starting plans to move to Google Apps and the potential future MS licencing costs are a significant driver behind this. The future licensing costs will be influencing how much of our IT we move to other alternatives. Windows itself is next on my radar.

[MYK-IT]

Apologies if any (all) of the following has already been mentioned.. but I attended a seminar on Friday where a Microsoft representative was present and in relation to MoU the following was noted:

 

• Due to EU (aka Sw*d*n) complaining that UK Schools are able to obtain MS Software at heavily reduced costs; current licensing scheme / costs being changed from 1st July 2016 (onwards)

• Microsoft state that licence costs are not increasing; but the amount of discount is being reduced (marketing speak)

• Recommended that ALL Education Establishments should ensure they are on the OVS-ES Scheme by 30th June 2016 (last chance to lock in)

• Licencing cost(s) increasing (aka amount of discount decreasing) on 1st July 2016, 2017 and 2018

• With strategical planning of purchasing OVS-ES Licence (1 or 3 year periods available) you could effectively secure current costs for as long as 2021 (e.g. new 3 Year OVS-ES licence during 2018, prior to 1st July 2018)

• Still being discussed, and finalised and may well change if UK comes out of the EU!

 

E&OE!

Edited February 29, 2016 by MYK-IT

[IanMac]

Hi all, I know that we will be renewing for 2016-2017 on the same fixed price (we are in our 3rd year of a 3 year fixed deal)

2017-2018 will be another 1 year deal at 'price not known'

2018-2021 will again be another price increase but fixed for those 3 years - so in effect for 2019-2021 there would be a saving as in that period the discount is fully removed.

 

Not an option for us to move everything to the cloud as our MIS server would not allow for this to happen.

 

Hmmmm... Capita and SIMS in the cloud eh ?

[Sheridan]

Just been plodding through all this, so its all in the cloud or pay more. Pretty much sums up what MS are saying.

 

Not too worry, apparently the future of IT in education is all ipads anyway

[gshaw]

Hmmmm... Capita and SIMS in the cloud eh ?

 

You'll be amazed how these vendors' products will suddenly become "cloud" if the frameworks require it.

 

Of course being properly engineered for massively scalable SaaS is very different to the supplier slapping a hosted VM in Azure but I'm sure sales & marketing will get around it...

[smithson83]

Just coming up to renewing our MS OVS-ES licencing. Still within a 3yr term. Reseller is saying I have to licence based on core count (eg as I would server 2016, because, "that's just how MS do it now"). Is this correct, do I have to move over to 2016 licencing even though I'm still running 2012 (2008 in some cases)...?

[jmak]

Just coming up to renewing our MS OVS-ES licencing. Still within a 3yr term. Reseller is saying I have to licence based on core count (eg as I would server 2016, because, "that's just how MS do it now"). Is this correct, do I have to move over to 2016 licencing even though I'm still running 2012 (2008 in some cases)...?

Yes. You always licence to the latest OS or software version with OVS-ES licencing and get "downgrade" rights.

[Ephelyon]

True. This also has to do with Software Assurance.

[Sagima]

Just coming up to renewing our MS OVS-ES licencing. Still within a 3yr term. Reseller is saying I have to licence based on core count (eg as I would server 2016, because, "that's just how MS do it now"). Is this correct, do I have to move over to 2016 licencing even though I'm still running 2012 (2008 in some cases)...?

 

I'm sure I read somewhere that it wouldn't affect the pricing as long as you had 8 or fewer cores in each server - more than that would be more expensive. I'll see if I can find something to back that up later

Edited December 14, 2016 by Sagima
supermarket grammar error

[gshaw]

I'm sure I read somewhere that it wouldn't affect the pricing as long as you had 8 or fewer cores in each server - more than that would be more expensive. I'll see if I can find something to back that up later

 

Yup from what I remember a dual quad-core CPU server would cost the same as what you pay for a dual CPU licence now.

 

It's those with the 12-16 core processors who need watch out!

[Ephelyon]

This is why I'm going to standardise on octacore processors for the time being - just means I'll need more sockets to get the number of cores required. Problem with that, if you're using VMware, is that hosts can have up to two sockets each on Essentials Plus, so you could find yourself facing a hefty bill to upgrade to vSphere Standard.

 

That's why we went for Hyper-V in the end - they wanted about as much for the Standard licensing as I was about to spend on server hardware. Now, normally, as Network Manager 'n' shizzle, I clearly spend a great deal of time considering and weighing up different technical options. In this case, though, it was about ten seconds of staring at the VMware quote followed by, "That's it! We're moving to Hyper-V!"

 

Currently running two hosts (on-site), both with four Opteron hexacores each and 128GB RAM. Will shortly be upgrading to hosts with four Xeon octacores each and 256GB RAM. That should sort us out in private cloud terms for the next few years, while making sure our Windows Server licensing remains simplified...

[localzuk]

Yup from what I remember a dual quad-core CPU server would cost the same as what you pay for a dual CPU licence now.

It's those with the 12-16 core processors who need watch out!

 

*Looks at his 28 core servers* Hmm... This may be expensive.

[Sagima]

I'm sure I read somewhere that it wouldn't affect the pricing as long as you had 8 or fewer cores in each server - more than that would be more expensive. I'll see if I can find something to back that up later

 

It was here https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/ausoemteam/2016/07/26/windows-server-2016-licensing-model/

 

"The 2-core pack for each edition is one-eighth the price of a 2-processor license for corresponding Windows Server 2012 R2 editions"

 

I did misremember though it's 16 cores we have to licence over two processors minimum so, with the exception of my two virtual servers (which have dual 12 core processors), it doesn't affect me

[smithson83]

We got prices for standard around £4 per 2 core licences, so the extras arnt that much unless you have data centre, that was around £28 per 2 core licences. Edited December 14, 2016 by smithson83

[localzuk]

We got prices for standard around £4 per 2 core location, so the extras arnt that much unless you have data centre, that was around £28 oer 2 core licences.

Yeah, we run data-centre, as its on a Hyper-V cluster.

[gshaw]

Yup Datacenter on our stuff as well to get the unlimited guest VM Windows licenses

@localzuk best get begging for some extra budget now as you have the mandatory 13% to deal with as well as these core changes

Edited December 14, 2016 by gshaw