Software Assurance Improved

To encourage more customers to purchase upgrade rights through its controversial Software Assurance (SA) program, Microsoft has added a long list of enhancements. They partially answer one of the chief complaints about the program-that Microsoft’s upgrades are more expensive than what competitors charge for both upgrades and technical support. However, customers who take the time to figure out the complex new program will find that their actual mileage varies, depending on factors such as their size, their current software support system, the number of desktops they have, and the type of volume licensing agreement they are in.

New Benefits

The enhancements that will be added to SA in Sept. 2003 fall into the following categories:

• Technical problem resolution by Microsoft personnel
• Access to technical education resources, such as documentation, for the customer’s employees and support staff
• Software tools that customers can use to manage and deploy their software
• Inexpensive access