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Strategies & Market Trends : Guidance and Visibility -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jorj X Mckie who wrote (64209)	7/31/2002 4:45:00 PM
From: 2MAR$	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 208838

but PCLN not helping EXPE short right now , longs might get emboldened ...will play ADBE for the DCB...

To: Jorj X Mckie who wrote (64209)	7/31/2002 4:51:32 PM
From: 2MAR$	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 208838

July 31 Marks End of an Era As Microsoft Pulls Plug on Software Upgrade Discounts, Says MicroWare Computing IRVINE, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning Aug. 1 companies or organizations with multiple PCs who need to upgrade their Microsoft software must pay full price under Microsoft's new Licensing 6.0 program, according to MicroWare Computing. Today is the last day of Microsoft's Upgrade Advantage Program, the company's long-standing program that allowed organizations to purchase newer versions of Microsoft products at significant discounts and with upgrade protection for a renewable period of two years. The new "Software Assurance" program requires that upgrade protection be purchased at the same time as a new product license. According to software licensing expert Don Geller, of MicroWare Computing in Irvine, Calif., Microsoft is discontinuing volume license discounts in the wake of a severe increase in software piracy. "It's the end of an era," said the 22-year value-added reseller. "Last year Microsoft eliminated upgrades for competitive products, and now it is taking away the discount users receive when they upgrade to a newer version of a Microsoft product. "It is unbelievable not to reward a loyal customer who wants to upgrade with a better price than somebody who is buying the software for the very first time. Without a doubt, getting my customers to comply with Microsoft's new program is going to be a real challenge," Geller said. But he concedes that software piracy "is a huge problem -- 25 percent of all American businesses are guilty of illegally copying software. Microsoft and the watchdog agencies like the Business Software Alliance (BSA) have made software audits as fearsome -- and often more costly -- than an IRS audit." Geller said fines can be as high as $250,000 on top of the cost of purchasing all new software, and criminal charges could result in jail time for corporate software procurement executives. He said the key to avoiding a software audit is to comply with the manufacturers' licensing agreements. His BeLegal service offers compliance consultation to firms that either have been notified of a pending audit, have been penalized or want to prevent problems. The company also offers software at competitive prices. "It is not an easy task to keep track of the complicated licensing issues, and Microsoft's new licensing program makes it even more difficult," he added. In addition to all the other business decisions that must be made each day, now managers of companies, non-profits, government agencies and educational institutions must choose between the higher costs of buying legal software or the price of failing an audit. MicroWare Computing: www.mwcnet.com or www.belegal.com . MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here tbutton.prnewswire.com SOURCE MicroWare Computing -0- 07/31/2002 /CONTACT: Les Goldberg, APR, +1-714-549-4300, or lgprman@aol.com , for MicroWare Computing/ /Web site: mwcnet.com belegal.com / CO: MicroWare Computing; Microsoft ST: California IN: CPR STW SU: LIC * end of story *