Microsoft Quietly Reduces TechNet Keys

Neb said:
From what I've read it seems both cancelled and expired, but it's mostly been anecdotal evidence in the form of a few complaints here and there, so I'm not sure.

I don't know if you can say that it's WAY wrong, as it's clearly a service sold as a subscription. Even though it's been nice, even if they did disable the key activations after your subscription ends, it seems like a valid (albeit asshole-ish) move.
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I'd like to see an official response to this question. Last year when they started making changes to bizspark, they did a bait and switch and forced our company to transfer on to a MSDN subscription. From a small business perspective, I'm not going to renew our MSDN account if they're going to void the licenses when they change the number of keys or the subscription expires, because I'm not going to get 'locked' into this renewal once they change their agreement again. In the long run it'll be cheaper just to buy OEM without all of the hassle of transitioning to OEM keys when they change their terms.
 
Sprkslfly said:
................

And this is why I do stand up and raise hell every time another right is trying to be removed or eroded. Just like at Target, if no one says anything, then hell yeah -the masses (of idiots/sheeple) will be fleeced/trampled. If you don't say anything, then YOU are part of the problem!
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I am completely with you on this, companies push and push to see what they can get away with but unfortunately too many people just bend over and dont care, but then the people that do care are some how criminals for wanting to protect what little privacy or rights we have left, but i am sure when it is too late, that is when people will complain, but it will be too late cause they already bent over and took it all the years before by everyone.

Too many people are sheep this day in age, in the U.S if people don't like the president so much, why is he still in office? hasn't his approval rating dropped? Be happy you have that right to get your government kicked out of office or others in power, my girlfriends house was just flooded (front gate to her community http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-0GVEqUSC4) because of a stream that cant handle the rain that has come lately in the mountains due to various reasons, governments response is "nothing we can do about that".... in Costa Rica, once the government is voted in, you cant do crap to kick them out, you have to bend over and take what they decide for 4 years.....


I wish more people would realize how powerful their money is, and learn to vote with their wallets and not assume they have to take anything given to them, hopefully we can raise a smarter generation then the current ones.
 
Luckly my company has a MSDN subscription since they are a software developer.
Having access to all the software for testing makes my IT job alot easier.
 
I am going to ask my work for one, lots of things i want to test out, exchange 2010 et cetera since we need a new mail server.
 
MrGuvernment said:
I wish more people would realize how powerful their money is, and learn to vote with their wallets and not assume they have to take anything given to them, hopefully we can raise a smarter generation then the current ones.
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I completely agree with this however lets not forget that particular situation was at least in part bought about by individuals gaming the program.

People often vote with their wallets in less than stellar ways that leads to situations like this.
 
This isn't right.

If they want to do it for new subscribers, or change the EULA at renewal, then fine.

But to do it to existing subscribers who have already paid is just not right at all.
 
Neb said:
From what I've read it seems both cancelled and expired, but it's mostly been anecdotal evidence in the form of a few complaints here and there, so I'm not sure.

I don't know if you can say that it's WAY wrong, as it's clearly a service sold as a subscription. Even though it's been nice, even if they did disable the key activations after your subscription ends, it seems like a valid (albeit asshole-ish) move.
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The thing with TechNet/MSDN is it was always stated up front that any licenses you got while paying for the program remained valid. By not renewing, you don't get any new content. This was different from Actionpak where you had to renew annually to continue using the software (but that license also allowed production use).

I can see banning any cancelled accounts due to the abuse really, but the way they have went about this is a really crappy way to treat actual customers.
 
I just renewed, but lowered to standard on the 22nd, They didn't tell me it was going to be lowered but I did ask about why they weren't zeroed out every year. The rep said you can always just ask for more keys, and they would gladly give you more. OK, maybe not gladly but.
 
jpnelson said:
I just renewed, but lowered to standard on the 22nd, They didn't tell me it was going to be lowered but I did ask about why they weren't zeroed out every year. The rep said you can always just ask for more keys, and they would gladly give you more. OK, maybe not gladly but.
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I've never had to ask for more keys, but I got a good feeling it's about as uncomfortable as having to call MS to manually activate Windows. I've had to do that several times and the MS reps seem to take the automatic attitude that you are a pirate, at least the tone I got the last several times I had to call them for a customer machine.
 
Regarding cancelled accounts with TechNet, I checked their FAQ Product Keys Section.

From site:

Expired Subscriber Access

Q: After my Subscription expires can I still download products and claim product keys?

A: Only Subscribers with active subscriptions can download products and claim product keys, so you will not be able to download products after your Subscription has expired.

You will be able to view Product Keys you had claimed while your Subscription was active, but you will not be able to claim new keys. In order to access your prior claimed keys, you will have to Sign in to Live ID using the account and Subscription information that you had used to access your subscription benefits and claim those keys.

NOTE: Based on program and agreement restrictions, some expired Volume License subscribers are not currently entitled to view their previously claimed keys.
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Seems to imply that the keys that you activated or claimed will continue to work even after subscription is ended.
 
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