Microsoft to help larger resellers

No chance of extended licensing deadline

Microsoft has announced tweaks to its volume licensing team which it claimed will make life easier for its large-account resellers (LARs). The company's Licensing 6.0 scheme comes into force on 1 August.

Corporate customers that do not get their software licensing in order before the deadline will have to pay the full price for new licences when they decide to upgrade.

According to analyst firm Gartner, this could cost businesses an extra 45 per cent.

Edward Hyde, licensing and channel sales manager at Microsoft, told vnunet.com's sister publication Computer Reseller News how the firm has brought its LAR sales team and its licensing consultants together to work with the channel.

It has also launched a software asset management team, previously known as its direct contact team, which will take the pressure off LARs by being on hand to provide customers with in-depth advice on licensing issues in time for the deadline.

"LARs can often feel under pressure when the issue of under-licensing comes up, because they don't want to compromise their relationship with the customer," said Hyde, adding that the advice is often better coming from Microsoft.

"By doing what we have done, it will allow us to better explore ways of managing and engaging with our channel," he explained.

Evidence from resellers suggests that less than a third of users have signed up for the new licences.

A survey from Microsoft reseller SunBelt Software showed that 36 per cent of enterprises were concerned about finding the funds to upgrade.

But customers hoping that Microsoft will extend the deadline are set to be disappointed. "It isn't going to move," said licensing manager Sue Page.