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Office 2010: Understanding the Suite Line-ups and Changes to Licensing

While I’ve been working with my counterparts on the US Partner Readiness team to build the training for Office 2010, I felt it was important to share some of the key changes to the Office 2010 product lines up with you.  I’ve included a few screenshots from the online training course that is available to all levels of the Partner Network today at https://training.partner.microsoft.com/learning/app/management/LMS_ActDetails.aspx?UserMode=0&ActivityId=574219  You’ll need to login with your Live ID that is associated with your Partner ID to access the training.

Let’s take a look at some of the key points form the Selling Office 2010 Overview Course.

The first thing you’ll likely notice below is the introduction of the Word and Excel Starter edition SKUs..  These will only be available on new systems purchased via the OEM / System Builder Channel.  If you are looking for a Microsoft Works SKU in the 2010 lineup, look no further as the Starter editions are replacing the Works family.  Moving across the list, the other NEW SKU is the Home & Business SKU.  This is designed to bridge the gap for the customers out there looking for their core productivity tools, but don’t require the additional horsepower associated with the Professional suite.

In the Professional SKU the one change to point out and I’ve to say I am happy to see is the inclusion of One Note.  OneNote is what I consider to be one of the best kept secrets of the Office family.  The only application I use more often than OneNote on a daily basis is Outlook.

I want to point out some significant changes regarding licensing with these products.  You’ll notice a new acronym “PKC” at the top next to OEM and FPP.   PKC stands for Product Key Card.  As new systems are sold with Office 2010 evaluation copies installed on them, consumers will be able to go to major electronic retail outlets, think “Big Box Marts”, etc. and purchase a Product Key Card (PKC), which is a single license card (No DVD).  The user will be able to unlock one of the three versions of Office 2010 you see represented in this graphic, Home & Student, Home & Business, or Professional.

The theory behind this is that we are making it easier for the consumer to test drive the products and simplify the purchase and installation process.

Now this convenience also offers a different set of Licensing Benefits from the standard Full Package Product (FPP).  You’ll notice in the Benefits breakdown in the graphic, that a PKC license enables the purchaser to use this on New PC’s Only and it is a 1 license / 1 device installation.  Whereas, the FPP license is a 1 license / 1 PC + Portable installation AND the License is transferrable.

The FPP Home & Student edition still offers one of the best values for the money with a 3 device installation option.

Here are some of the HIGHLIGHTS of the Volume License product line up.  The ONE item that stands out to me the most is the inclusion of Office Web Apps in the VL Suites.  This will provide a new level

of flexibility and productivity for the mobile employee.  Providing them instant access to the applications they use dally at their office from the convenience of a web browser.  There are more details regarding the licensing enhancements to provide more flexible options for your customers, but you are better off catching up on that via Eric Ligman’s blog.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Adminstration Instant Reference Book…. Get it while its HOT!!

Congratulations is in order!  Matt Hester, Chris Henley, and Harold Wong from the Microsoft TechNet team have put a lot of blood, sweat, and time into the creation of one of the best IT Pro books on the market.   While I haven’t had the privilege to read all of it just yet, I’m looking forward to picking it up and getting it signed by my friends.  

Here’s what the editor at Amazon posted about the book.

Product Description

All your Windows Server 2008 R2 questions answered—on the spot!

Get up to speed on the new features of Windows Server 2008 R2 with this indispensable guide. Designed for busy IT professionals, it's the perfect go-to resource for quick answers and real-world solutions as you administer the new server OS. You'll find easy-to-read lists, quick-reference tables, helpful thumb tabs, and much more in a handy, compact format that puts the information you need at your fingertips.

Topics include:

• Getting started and adding roles and functionality

• Automating tasks

• Managing users, groups, directories, and the centralized desktop

• Handling folder security, disk management, storage, backup, and recovery

• Monitoring and maintaining web servers

• Troubleshooting IP and managing remote access

• Doing performance tuning and maintaining virtual servers

About the Author

Matthew Hester, IT Professional Evangelist for Microsoft, has more than a decade of experience with Microsoft core infrastructures products such as Windows, Active Directory, Exchange, and others. He is a contributor to TechNet Magazine. Chris Henley, IT Professional Evangelist for Microsoft, has worked in IT for more than 15 years. Chris specializes in client and server technologies.

If you are looking to pick it up, here are a couple of online resellers that should have it in stock today.

Windows 7 RC Bits Expire June 1, 2010

For those of you who jumped on the Beta and RC bandwagon because you were excited to put the new Operating System to the test, we thank you.  Now that you’ve been running it for close to a year, its time to start thinking about moving to the release product. 

Do you have customers still using Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC)? If so, let them know that it is expiring soon:

• February 15 - They'll start seeing notifications on their PCs, warning them that their operating systems will expire soon and reminding them to back up their data.
• March 1 - Users' systems will reboot or go to a blue screen every two hours, depending on their system failure settings.
• June 1 - The Windows 7 RC license will expire.
  • When it expires, the customer will receive notifications which are more intrusive and occur when logging on and when accessing system components such as the control panel.
  • Finally, the desktop background will turn black with a non-genuine watermark.

Visit the Windows Blog one week prior to each expiration milestone for additional details.

White House’s New Cyber-Security Czar to Address San Antonio Conference on Internet Security

I wanted to share this information that my friend Larry Lentz of Lentz Computer Services in San Antonio passed along to me.  If you have an interest in Security or an existing background in it, this should be a a worth while event.  Since its on Friday, I’m planning to catch the PBS broadcast of the event.

Howard A. Schmidt, who also served Bush 43,

will participate in Texas Lyceum PBS-televised “Great Debate Series”

Our Growing Lives Online: Safe or Not?

(SAN ANTONIO) The person President Obama recently charged with the enormous task of protecting our nation’s public and private computer systems will participate in a televised panel discussion hosted here next month by the Texas Lyceum.

Howard A. Schmidt, appointed last month by President Obama to serve as White House Cyber-Security Czar, has nearly forty years of experience in business, government and law enforcement.  Previously, Mr. Schmidt served as the Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Security Strategist for online auction giant eBay.  Mr. Schmidt also served as the Special Advisor for Cyberspace Security for President George W. Bush, and as the Chief Security Officer for Microsoft Corp. Mr. Schmidt will join the Texas Lyceum’s “Great Debate Series,” Our Growing Lives Online: Safe or Not? in San Antonio on Friday, February 5 from 4 – 6 pm at the Empire Theater, 226 N. St. Mary’s. 

The “Great Debate Series,” which marks the 30^th anniversary of the non-partisan leadership group, will be televised by KLRN-TV, San Antonio public television station, and re-broadcast statewide on Texas PBS stations. The Great Debate event is open to the public; tickets are $20 at www.texaslyceum.org.  Members of the media are invited free of charge, but must also register online.

Along with Mr. Schmidt, other “Great Debate” panelists include CEO of SecTheory Robert Hansen, a leading expert on web application, browser and e-commerce security; JDr. Nicole Beebe, Assistant Professor of Information Systems, UTSA; and Ari Schwartz, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Center for Democracy and Technology.

“We are honored to host such an illustrious group of leaders from the cyber security world, and we look forward to a robust discussion on the myriad Internet security issues facing the public and private sectors,” said Texas Lyceum President John James of Midland. “As we increasingly rely on the Internet to store and communicate information, personal security and identify theft is becoming a growing concern for all Americans,” said James.

“San Antonio’s growing cyber security industry, coupled with the Air Force’s announcement to locate its Cyber Command here, make San Antonio an ideal location to host a conference tackling these issues,” said John Dickson, Lyceum Director, conference coordinator and Principal of the San Antonio-based Denim Group. “We are particularly excited to welcome Howard A. Schmidt, and we look forward to his insights on some of the most compelling cyber security issues facing our country.”

For more information about the Texas Lyceum, the conference and for ticket information, please go to www.texaslyceum.org.

About the Texas Lyceum:

The Texas Lyceum, a non-profit, non-partisan group, is a premier statewide leadership organization focused on identifying the next generation of top Texas leaders. The Lyceum consists of 96 men and women from throughout the state who begin their six-year term while under the age of 46, and have demonstrated leadership in their community and profession, together with a deep commitment to Texas.
In 2009, the Lyceum conducted the third annual Texas Lyceum Poll, an independent survey of Texan’s attitudes about issues facing the state and the nation, and held its 24th Annual Public Conference in Austin entitled: “The 2009 Stimulus Package: What’s in it (or not) for Texas?”
The Lyceum has an impressive list of former members who are serving or have served in public office including: Former President George W. Bush, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Governor Rick Perry, former Texas Comptroller John Sharp, Texas State Senators Rodney Ellis and Kirk Watson, Houston Mayor Bill White, Texas Supreme Court Justices Don Willett and Dale Wainwright, U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore, former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, and Congressman Pete Olson. Current Directors include Texas Representatives Veronica Gonzales and Marc Veasey.  
The Texas Lyceum acts as a catalyst to bring together diverse opinions and expertise to focus on national and state issues, and seeks to emphasize constructive private sector, public sector, and individual responses to the issues.
To accomplish these purposes, the Lyceum conducts periodic public forums, publishes the Lyceum Journal, commissions The Texas Lyceum Poll, and convenes programs for the Directors to explore and discuss key economic and social issues of the state and nation. For more information visit: http://www.texaslyceum.org/.