... the consequences of this logic will no doubt come as a big surprise to most of Microsoft's volume-license customers. For example, if a company that signed up for SA before last summer's July 31 deadline wants to sell a division now, in theory it must pay for the second and third year of its agreement on those licenses it wishes to transfer. That will make the transferred licenses perpetual in Microsoft's eyes, but the SA coverage itself will then disappear -- with neither the divesting nor the receiving company receiving future upgrades for those licenses. Microsoft will have received at least an additional 50 percent of the original license costs without providing a thing.

• Read full article
• Read full article in new window
• See other articles published by InfoWorld
• Today's headlines
• Headlines for Apr 10, 2003