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By SuperUser Account on 9/12/2010 1:52 PM
 Valeri Nistratov for The New York Times Baikal Environmental Wave protested in June against a paper factory on the shores of Lake Baikal, months after security forces seized its computers. More Photos » IRKUTSK, Russia — It was late one afternoon in January when a squad of plainclothes police officers arrived at the headquarters of a prominent environmental group here. They brushed past the staff with barely a word and instead set upon the computers before carting them away. Taken were files that chronicled a generation’s worth of efforts to protect the Siberian wilderness. The group, Baikal Environmental Wave, was organizing protests against Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin’s decision to reopen a paper factory that had polluted nearby Lake Baikal, a natural wonder that by some estimates holds 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. Instead, the group fell victim to one of the authorities’ newest tactics for quelling dissent: confiscating computers under the pretext of searching for pirated Microsoft software. | By SuperUser Account on 8/6/2010 8:42 AM
Independent Analysts Offer 2-Day Intensive Course on Choosing the Right Licensing Plan and Reducing the Cost of Microsoft Licenses, Including Windows 7 Upgrades
KIRKLAND, Wash., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The release of Windows 7 has prompted many organizations to begin planning desktop OS upgrades. In addition to planning the technical aspects of a desktop OS deployment, IT decision makers must also determine the best way to purchase the Windows 7 licenses they'll need. Options range from acquiring Windows 7 as they purchase new PCs to volume licensing programs that give companies the right to upgrade every computer in their organization immediately. Choosing the right licensing strategy can result in significant savings; choosing the wrong strategy can cost even more.
Independent analyst firm, Directions on Microsoft, offers strategic advice to organizations on Microsoft licensing in their Microsoft Licensing Boot Camps, two-day workshops that demystify Microsoft licensing programs and rules. At these popular... | By SuperUser Account on 8/2/2010 10:47 AM
In a twitter reply by Microsoft Australia (MSAU) today, we were reminded of a Microsoft Office license term that many people did not know. The reply to a tweeted question stated that whilst the Home and Student edition of Microsoft Office is licensed for installation on up to three machines, all other versions of Microsoft Office are in fact licensed for installation on two machines. | By SuperUser Account on 7/23/2010 9:11 AM
Microsoft employs digital forensics and other technologies to help law-enforcement authorities bust counterfeiter syndicates. | By SuperUser Account on 7/9/2010 8:47 AM
Since Microsoft announced the new Business Ready Enhancement Plan Renewal Policy, talks about whether the customer should stay current has increased significantly.
At 16% of your total software list price, it’s potentially a sizable recurring investment for companies using the software. Not just specifically to Microsoft, almost all ERP, CRM, business software out there requires users to pay an annual enhancement of some sort.
Other than the obvious questions of “what do I get for staying current?”, the benefits are numerous and I encourage you to get with your partner to learn what these benefits are. But the primary reason with the new policy is that you need to be current in order to purchase additional granules and users.
This may sound very scary at first, but hopefully this blog post will put in perspective on what this means should you decide to stay current or not. | By SuperUser Account on 7/6/2010 10:04 AM
If you're planning on buying or upgrading more than one Microsoft product in a year's time, consider a TechNet Standard subscription. For $200, you get, essentially, 100 installations of Windows, Office, and other Microsoft apps. | By SuperUser Account on 7/5/2010 1:09 PM
Written by Austin Davies on Monday, July 5, 2010 
Illegal software has always been problem for Microsoft however they have started to tackle the problem in the UK by catching 25 computer shops, who were found to be installing pirated versions of Windows onto hard drives that were found in computer systems they were selling. Microsoft hired their own investigators to track down the suspects, then deal with them personally. Stores that continued their illegal activities would then be hunted by the Trading Standards, who have the legal power to prosecute. In a statement to ComputerWeekly, Michala Wardell, head of anti-piracy at Microsoft UK said, “Most of those caught in the operation either claimed the illegal activities were carried out by rogue employees or that they were not aware that what they were doing was illegal”. Most stores caught did confess they were doing wrong and are now working with Microsoft at correcting their mistakes of trading illegal software. Here’s a list of some of the offenders caught in Microsoft’s investigation; | By SuperUser Account on 7/2/2010 8:00 AM
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By: Patrick Gunn, Vice President, Flexera Software
Published: 2nd July 2010
Copyright Flexera Software © 2010 |
With software licences and maintenance almost one third of overall IT budgets, software is a key company asset and not actively managing its usage diminishes its value to the business. Increasingly today, there is awareness of the risks associated with unmanaged assets, but there is a distinct lack of importance assigned to software licence management and optimisation. Enterprises commonly make the following mistakes when dealing with their software estates: - Making ad hoc purchases – Allowing employees to make ad hoc purchases and not controlling authorised purchases is a common occurrence. Enterprises often buy licences as needed in a piecemeal fashion, rather than under a volume purchase agreement, which can be much more cost effective.
- Not tracking installation and use – By tracking installations of software and its usage, enterprises may be able to substantially reduce ongoing maintenance payments, either because the applications are not being used or because they are no longer supported by the vendor.
- No central repository – A central repository for keeping proof of software licences so that they are easily accessible for review allows enterprises to quickly comply with vendor audit requests, saving time and money.
- Not tracking renewal dates – Not keeping track of software licence agreements and renewal dates, makes enterprises vulnerable to lapses in Software Assurance or other maintenance programmes, which can prove costly for enterprises. Some vendors may demand that enterprises just pay maintenance retrospectively to the renewal date, whilst others could make organisations re-purchase the licences.
- No communication between departments – IT operations must work with Procurement to ensure that software is installed and used in accordance with the respective licence agreements to avoid software compliance issues. This is often not the case.
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| | | | | Featured Microsoft Partners | | | |
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Altico Advisors!
Office Location: Marlborough, Massachusetts, United States
Type: Reseller
Industry Focus: Manufacturing, Distribution, Software Development, Professional Services, Medical Device
Altico Advisors implements & supports business & financial management solutions for mid-market firms throughout New England, New York & New Jersey. Altico is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Dynamics GP systems for manufacturers, distributors, software development companies, professional services organizations, and the medical device sector.
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Core
Office Location: London, , United Kingdom
Type: Systems Integrator
Industry Focus: Legal, Local Government, Insurance, Finance
Core provide consultancy, development and support for SharePoint, System Center and Microsoft Online Services (BPOS, Office 365 and Azure).We have over 20 years’ experience helping clients across a range of industries improve productivity, efficiency and achieve their business goals.As an established Microsoft partner, we enjoy the highest level of support from Microsoft and have consistently been launch partners for new Microsoft technologies and releases.
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Netstar I.T Support
Office Location: Ilford, Essex, United Kingdom
Type: ISV,Systems Integrator,VAR
Industry Focus: Small to medium businesses.
Netstar I.T Support is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner offering services to small and medium businesses across London and Essex.
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Global IT Rollouts
Office Location: Montgomery, New York, United States
Type: Systems Integrator,System Builder
Industry Focus:
We specialize in Microsoft and IBM service delivery with the ability to manage large global rollouts and migrations.
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Insite Software
Office Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Type: ISV
Industry Focus: Enterprise eCommerce platform for .NET developers
Insite Software is a leading provider of B2B and B2C ecommerce platforms, serving more than 700 customers, design agencies and .NET development firms across the globe.
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