Microsoft Updates Vista Licensing -- Again
As expected, Microsoft has softened a key element of Vista licensing, enabling (more like re-enabling, if you think about it) users to transfer their retail license from one system to another, without restriction -- so long as they aren't shared simultaneously.
Personally, I think that Microsoft floated this change to Vista knowing full well that there would be a ton of resistance. They may not have been sure exactly how much, but this was easy enough for a five-year old to predict. The cool thing for them, now, is that they get to trumpet how well they respond to customer feedback. And it makes other changes in the licensing seem much more palatable by comparison.
Microsoft's real goal is software subscriptions, so you can be sure that they will be ready to try this again. (Remember how many times they pushed the idea of WPA and WGA before they finally went implemented them? They are positively relentless.)
Microsoft definitely has a right, and even a need, to protect its intellectual property from piracy and misuse, but it needs to ensure that it doesn't cause customers to more highly consider alternative products in order to minimize the perceived hassle factor. They really need to work on multi-user pack pricing (outside of the extremely wonderful ActionPack for resellers and consultants) since they know that there are so many networked home installations, and that this is where a major temptation is with regards to piracy.
Technorati tags:
Licensing,
Vista,
Piracy
About Logik!
Andrew S. Baker aka ASB aka Logik!
Andrew is an accomplished, hands-on executive with broad technology expertise and proven track record of generating sustainable business results through implementation of effective processes and controls, design and deployment of superior technology infrastructure, and strategic and tactical leadership of IT teams.
He regularly provides thought leadership on business and technology issues via mailing lists, technical forums, blogs, professional networking groups, as well as contributions to podcasts, webinars, and technical/business magazine articles. Additionally, Andrew holds active roles on several boards and committees for non-profit organizations, and within the Seventh-day Adventist church.
His personal interests include Astronomy, Basketball, Bible Study, Chess, Comics, Computers,
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