Microsoft "ESS Licensing" - who is using it and why?

[elsiegee40]

EES is brilliant in most cases. I have only come across one or two schools that it doesn't make sense for. I've dealt with them since they cam out so if you have any questions or need any quotes, just let me know

At the Microsoft conference back in February, @Millgate , there was a primary schools breakaway session where people like me, @witch and @AngryTechnician gave Microsoft a hard time. (There were others, but we were probably most vocal )

 

It does not not suit smaller schools because the ratio of Microsoft definition FTE staff to the number of PCs is too small. In our case we employ more staff on 200 hours per year than we have computers in school!

 

Those selling EES need to make sure that schools understand that most of their part-time staff are full-time in Microsoft's rules.

[Millgate]

At the Microsoft conference back in February, @Millgate , there was a primary schools breakaway session where people like me, @witch and @AngryTechnician gave Microsoft a hard time. (There were others, but we were probably most vocal )

 

It does not not suit smaller schools because the ratio of Microsoft definition FTE staff to the number of PCs is too small. In our case we employ more staff on 200 hours per year than we have computers in school!

 

Those selling EES need to make sure that schools understand that most of their part-time staff are full-time in Microsoft's rules.

 

I couldn't agree more. Every time someone asks for ees I always go through the options with them. Majority of the time though, it works out for the best. I have Primaries, secondaries etc using ees and are very happy and I wouldnt recommend it unless it was gong to benefit the school.

 

From a sales point of view, there's no difference between selling ees and anything else. We don't get more "points" or a pat on the back. Even with hardware, I don't recommend it unless its beneficial. Happy clients make the job a lot better

[gshaw]

EES with Software Assurance \ Enterprise CALs = win

 

If you factor in the extras you get with it that can replace other systems (anti-spam, AV etc) it looks even better value plus you're always as close to the cutting edge of new releases as you wish to be!

[moriartythemundane]

Well guys you have all come up trumps again and I have decided that in todays meeting I will, on balance, recommend we go down the ESS front. The maths for our establishment seems to add up in favour of ESS, I just need to convince SLT and Capita that that is what we need. I think Capita are on my wavelength!??!

Thanks to all who responded... have a good week!

Moriarty...

[RTFM]

Well guys you have all come up trumps again and I have decided that in todays meeting I will, on balance, recommend we go down the ESS front. The maths for our establishment seems to add up in favour of ESS, I just need to convince SLT and Capita that that is what we need. I think Capita are on my wavelength!??!

Thanks to all who responded... have a good week!

Moriarty...

 

Ouch, so you can't shop around for the EES you have to go through Capita to do it all?

 

Had forgot the bit where you said you were BSF and in contract with them!!!

[moriartythemundane]

RTFM... We are allowed to enter competitive tender for kit/software/whatever, but there is an individual charge for eg putting a pc onto the network. There may be a legacy item we want to keep and have network enabled that may want a ram upgrade, re imaging whatever and they will ask us for a charge to do that. We have to factor that in to all our costs. Interestingly enough, Just before Xmas we tried to by some heavy duty RM laptops, the quote duly arrived and I had to run this by Capita. So far I have no laptops, the special offer of a "Free" trolley from RM has gone and I suspect that if I do end up buying them from Capita it will cost me more, but worse, if I end up buying them from RM that too will now cost me more!!

This whole scenario is depressing/frustrating/costing us time and money. Capita(read ex Ramesys) should in truth be competitive. Does it bode well for the future? Only time will tell...

 

Moriarty...

[moriartythemundane]

We are a BSF school about to move accross in sept this year. We to are discussing what we want to do with regards for licensing. A few interesting points were brought up about this.

 

- yes you can buy 3 years worth of licensing at a time but as you have already mentioned, what happens in three years when there is not as much BSF money to spend.

- If you choose the EES route, if after the deal finishes you dont want it any more, you have to buy yourself out of the deal. I think its about a years payment.

- If like us, you are having a managed service, does the contract include upgrading machines? Its pointless to have the option to upgrade to the latest software if the company wont do it for the life of the managed service.

 

In the end, it was better for us to buy licenses for the machines individually.

 

This is something we have looked at but the idea of the BSF contract is a rollover cycle of the contract AND hardware every five years! The problem is 3s and 5s don't fit until 15! So a 6 year rollover or 3 yr roll over would have been better I suspect?

 

Who is your new provider? If its Capita have you any job descriptions yet? I cant get one for love nor money. The school want them so they can see just what they need to cover that we will no longer do and they cant get them. The LA HR says they cant get them and Capita say they have given them out! Draw your own conclusions but the terms "smoke and mirrors" or "divide and conquer" come into my mind along with "Mushroom Syndrome"!!! (Keep them in the Dark and feed them sh*te!)

 

If anyone has Capita Job descriptions for NWM and Techies can they pm me with copies attached?

 

Moriarty...

[RabbieBurns]

with ESS, if i am buying 100 new laptops, can i specify them with no OS and put our ESS VL windows on it, or do they have to contain a winOS before you can VL them?

 

Any links to official docs would be great

[CyberNerd]

with ESS, if i am buying 100 new laptops, can i specify them with no OS and put our ESS VL windows on it, or do they have to contain a winOS before you can VL them?

 

Any links to official docs would be great

 

 

EES is an upgrade license only.

[RabbieBurns]

EES is an upgrade license only.

 

thanks thats what i thought, my boss is convinced otherwise though. Where is it written please so i can show him?

[CyberNerd]

thanks thats what i thought, my boss is convinced otherwise though. Where is it written please so i can show him?

 

on every quotation I have seen. Your provider will be able to produce one.

You can buy OEM licenses through EES or Select though

[Mr.Ben]

I've seen somewhere that EES will allow you to upgrade home editions (a saving of around £20 per unit). Can this be confirmed by anyone?

[synaesthesia]

Yes it's true.

[RTFM]

I've seen somewhere that EES will allow you to upgrade home editions (a saving of around £20 per unit). Can this be confirmed by anyone?

 

Windows 7 Upgrade Paths

 

This might be worth a look, it shows your available upgrade paths

Edited December 13, 2012 by RTFM

[kuryakin]

Hi Moriaty

 

We have gone down this line, pretty much for the reasons you outlined. Unfortunately one can't crystal ball gaze too much when it comes to Microsoft, Google et al but I think that even if they change the scheme they would have something comparable as they seem keen to embed their software in schools and the cheaper they make it the more likely this is going to happen.

 

IMHO I would go with it but you could always ensure that it is understood from the outset that this is based on the current scheme that could be subject to change.

 

Regards

Kury