MS Action Pack $299 (lower price..was $450) -- 5 copies of XP pro, 10 copies of Office XP, Advanced Server, more

[Dood]

This is a repost but the price for the STANDARD Action Pack has been lowered to $450. You must be (or sign up to be) a "Microsoft Partner". You get...

NFD (not for distribution) SOFTWARE & LICENSES:

Product Title (Number Of Licenses)
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server (1)
Microsoft Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server (1)
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition (1)
Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 (1)
Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server (1)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional (5)
Microsoft Office XP Professional with FrontPage (10)
Microsoft Visio 2002 (5)
Microsoft Project 2000 (10)

PARTNER GUIDES:

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Partner Guide
Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 Partner Guide
Competing with Linux Partner Guide
Microsoft Office XP Partner Guide
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Partner Guide
Microsoft Windows XP Partner Guide
Microsoft Open License Partner Guide
Microsoft .NET Developer Partner Guide
Microsoft Web Security Partner Guide

PROJECT GUIDES:

Deploying Office XP and SharePoint? Team Services
Microsoft Windows XP for Small Businesses
Microsoft Windows XP for Medium to Large Businesses
Microsoft Windows XP for IT Professionals
Implementing Windows 2000 Web Services
Upgrading Windows NT® 4.0 Member Server to Windows 2000 Server
Implementing Windows 2000 File and Print Services
Deploying Security Services
Deploying Windows 2000 Active Directory? Service
Remotely Managing Small Business Server 2000

PARTNER READINESS COURSES:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional Deployment
Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 ? Advanced Topics


LINK TO ACTION PACK SITE

 

[HyTekJosh]

It is $300 per YEAR, right?

 

[Zwingle]

There is no yearly fee for being a MCP.....Microsoft Certified Partner.....that is the price ($299) for the merchandise that is included in the Action Pack. Anyone care to add that up and find out what that would cost for the software alone if you paid retail? I am guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of $8k-9k.....good deal if you have a small business......

Edit.....: $8882.00 going by Pricewatch prices....not including shipping. This includes multiple copies...not licenses.

 

[crobusa]

Yes, legally you are supposted to destroy everything after the year or keep on paying.. You can't sell them, and MS can take them from your possession at any time they please with their private milita. You must only use the software for demonstration, testing, education, and evaluation purposes only.. How you can demonstrate or test 10 copies of Office is beyond me though..

See sections 3 and 4(d) of the Devil's Contract.

 

[Gotsome]

Does my company need to be a Microsoft Certified Partner to order?
No, your company does not need to be a Microsoft Certified Partner to order.

Action Pack FAQ's

 

[TheCableGuy]

Thanks Dood!

Sweet deal for training!

I can set up an entire small network with all that!

 

[TAsunder]

It is a per year thing. While you get the products and what not, the license agreement states that you are only entitled to use them if you pay the action pack subscrpition fee each year.

License Agreement

How can you use 10 copies for demos? Easily - if you have multiple people demoing it at various times, you might want to install it on a few machines so that if one person is demoing it another wouldn't have to wait. We've encountered this here.

 

[jblondi]

<< Restriction. You acknowledge that this Subscription is restricted to resellers, consultants, VARs, value-added providers, system integrators, developers, system builders, hosts, service providers or IT professionals who sell Microsoft products or provide solutions based on Microsoft products and technologies to third-party customers >>



Link

Very cold...nice try though.

 

[crobusa]

An interesting question to which I may be flamed to the very depths of hell.. Product Activation.

If I tried to install this after the one year timer, will MS refuse to give the activation key?
All the software listed needs to be activated.. Because of the chance I might "renew" my subscription, the software hasn't been hard coded to die like a beta would.. Or is it the "corporate edition" that bypasses the activation scheme.

For those who's moral inclination overrides their legal obligations.. I doubt anyone here fits that description.

Jblondi, I'm not sure I agree. When I was 16 year old, I fixed the neighbors' computers. I could call myself a consultant. Also since they were using Win9x, I was an "IT professional who provides solutions based on Microsoft products and technologies to third-party customers." That's legalese anyone of us could probable wiggle into.

 

[JimmyJoe]

This is from the license agreement:
"Product Licenses will expire at the end of the term of this Agreement; and you must then remove all copies of Products licensed under this Agreement, unless valid licenses are either purchased for them, or, if applicable, obtained by renewal of this Subscription. Microsoft reserves the right to audit use of Product Licenses."


What does that mean for WindowsXP Pro? With the Product Activation required and such, does that mean that after 1 year (if you don't renew the subscription) that you can't us the OS anymore?

 

[neovan]

Does anybody know if each software comes in their own retail packaging or if it comes in a folder like MSDN does?

 

[RadMan]

never mind.

 

[crobusa]

I'm almost sure this comes in a folder. We're forbidden to sell this. Each disk is marked not for distribution. It doesn't say anything about being "leased" out for personal use.. probably so you can loan it to your customers.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

<< I'm almost sure this comes in a folder. We're forbidden to sell this. Each disk is marked not for distribution. It doesn't say anything about being "leased" out for personal use.. probably so you can loan it to your customers. >>

Thanks , crobusa...as a "system integrator" and a "VAR"...I'am not interested in this ...unless I land a corporate account of size where this would be of serious value and definitely be considered for such a customer......Thanks , Dood ..excellent post, a HotDeal but not a general one. Oh and thanks Zwingle for the breakout on the retail aspect of the offer.

 

[rowcroft]

If you're going to buy one copy of XP Pro and office then it is a hot deal, definately cheaper then retail or OEM for that matter. I purchased it when it was $449 two months ago and have received several updates from them including ISA Server and XP Pro. Also there were some nice utilities on CD that were sent and some reference materials. If you are a network administrator then it is a great deal IMO-

Rowcroft

 

[Zwingle]

<< I'm almost sure this comes in a folder. We're forbidden to sell this. Each disk is marked not for distribution. It doesn't say anything about being "leased" out for personal use.. probably so you can loan it to your customers >>


We also thought that the WinXP Channel Excitement Kit was gooing to come stamped Not for Distribution.....but we all know better now. I seriously doubt that MS will demand much from you if you do not install after the year. And I doubt the keys for Win XP will magically not work....

 

[Kwad Guy]

If you take the MS license stuff at face value, then the license
keys for WinXP/OfficeXP WILL (not so) magically stop working after
a year. Remember that you will have to ACTIVATE this software on any
new machine, or if you change enough components of an existing
machine. If the license agreement is to be believed and interpreted
in the most obvious way, then after a year MS will no longer provide
you with the necessary activation codes. Yes, the computers you have
already installed XP on will continue to work fine. BUT good luck
installing XP on a new machine.

If someone knows to the contrary, then please pipe in. I asked
this same question several times in the previous long thread on this
action pack, and no one seemed to know...

Kwad

 

[Dood]

Followup: I need to buy Win XP Pro and Office XP. At $299, isn't this the best deal to get these two pieces of software? Plus all the other stuff I get?

 

[eek256]

yes! i've posted dozen threads about this, thanks for bringing up the deal.


i'm a part-time admin, so implementing exchange and win2k as might take over a year's length. If i decide not to pay the anual fee after 12 months, will the software disable itself (win2000 and exchange server). ??

 

[GotComputers]

For all you nay-sayers out there, I just want to say this is about the best deal going. It explicity says that you can distribute among your employees. I have a completely legit small business selling computers, and most of my close aquaintences sell computers for me, and I pay them a commission. That makes them employees, and the license allows latitude for employees.

THANKS a ton for the post! I've seen this before, but the power prices make this HOTHOTHOT.

 

[ChrisADuffy]

I agree, this is a great deal for small biz.

 

[EliteForces]

I think this is good for anyone who uses ms products. Especially student even educational version of these products cost more than $250 so its great for everyone that actually license their product. (those who copy cd's are hurting everyone) i feel.

 

[Dood]

FYI, I received my WinXP pro CD with ONE product key. The disk is marked "not for distribution". I have installed and activated this product on six different PCs in two days. I'm not sure if the activation system is "relaxed" or what.

 

[kermalou]

do i need to activate this by phone/internet?

 

[Dood]

Yes, it does the activation process, but it does not seem to limit you on the number of installs.