Technet Expiring!

[htwingnut]

I'm a little late to the party it seems, but Microsoft is terminating the TechNet subscription service. I just haven't had need to download or access keys in the last couple of months so missed the excitement, and never received an email stating the decision to terminate the service.

http://technet.microsoft.com/subscriptions/default.aspx

For us enthusiasts this means an ultra expensive solution is MSDN if you want OS and Office or you pay through the nose for individual licenses. As much as I format, reinstall, and actually offer free services for friends and family to help fix problems or show options, this will change things quite a bit. My full time employment is not in IT, so I don't have any options through my employer either.

My current subscription expires Jan 14, 2014. Between this, the debacle that is Windows 8, and how Microsoft has responded to complaints, it looks like it's time to engage in alternative options.

Sigh... Curious how many others here are affected by this. Maybe it was discussed a while back, but I guess I missed it.

 

[nephilim2k]

Time to take as many keys as possible. Lol.

A way around it is to create your own company, sign up for volume licencing. You can get like 500 windows 7 pro or 8 pro licences for less than $1000.

 

[htwingnut]

Problem is that with a clean install, the keys won't activate any more after your subscription expiration.

What does it take to start my own company? I guess I could be a "non-profit" company offering IT support.

 

[hclarkjr]

you were given an additional 90 days to your subscription by microsoft, they sent an email about that. you seem to be missing some emails

 

[stlcardinals]

actually offer free services for friends and family to help fix problems

And this is why I think the program is going away, along with all of the abuse of key selling.

What does your offering free services for friends and family have to do with a Technet subscription?

 

[lxskllr]

And this is why I think the program is going away, along with all of the abuse of key selling.

What does your offering free services for friends and family have to do with a Technet subscription?

I interpreted what he said to mean he gives free tech support to friends and family, therefore adding value to the MS platform. With Technet, he can keep up with new technologies, and show them off to others generating sales.

 

[seepy83]

A way around it is to create your own company, sign up for volume licencing. You can get like 500 windows 7 pro or 8 pro licences for less than $1000.

I'm not sure where you get your information from, but it's very wrong.. You'll get about 5 or 6 volume licenses for $1000.

 

[htwingnut]

I interpreted what he said to mean he gives free tech support to friends and family, therefore adding value to the MS platform. With Technet, he can keep up with new technologies, and show them off to others generating sales.

You are correct!

See my 27000+ posts at notebookreview forums too.

Now I'm stuck having to spend thousands to replace the software I only had spend a couple hundred a year to use.

Screw you Microsoft...

 

[ultimatebob]

You are correct!

See my 27000+ posts at notebookreview forums too.

Now I'm stuck having to spend thousands to replace the software I only had spend a couple hundred a year to use.

Screw you Microsoft...

Sorry, but software license costs should always get passed on to the customer. If they don't have valid license keys, then they have to buy new ones. It sucks, but those are the rules that Microsoft has always made it's customers play by. People who abused Technet for cheap licenses are a big reason why they are closing the service... along with the bastards who were selling them on eBay.

If your customers don't like it, remind them that there are almost always open source options available. Just be happy that someone didn't rat you out to the BSA and make you go through a software audit!

 

[Doomer]

The death of Technet is just another crack in the castle walls. Won't be long now til MS is broken apart and rendered irrelevant.

 

[StinkyPinky]

Problem is that with a clean install, the keys won't activate any more after your subscription expiration.

What does it take to start my own company? I guess I could be a "non-profit" company offering IT support.

Has this been confirmed? I would think the keys would continue to work even after expiry.