TechNet Standard Subscription?

Talonrazor

I am looking at setting up a network of computers and I need to install Windows 7, Office 2010 and Home Server across six different machines. We have been asked to look into buying a TechNet Standard subscription to provide the software for the network. None of these machines would be producing sold content.

Would TechNet subscription be worth it for this purpose? I want to setup this network plus install an OS or two on our PCs driving TVs and webcams. This is supposedly the easiest way to do it. Anyone have any experience with TechNet subscriptions?

mkissin

TechNet would certainly be a cheaper way to get that done, as compared to purchasing all the software retail. I have had a professional subscription for a couple opf years myself, and it's been brilliant.

Keep in mind though, that depending on what you're going to do with those machines, you may be breaking the licensing conditions.

Also, unless you use the enterprise versions of the software, you only get 5 licenses of each piece of software (there were 10 last year, but it seems to be 5 this year. I don't recall if I was on a different plan type then, but it's possible). You can stretch that a bit if you are prepared to install different versions of the software. Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional are two different pieces of software for licensing, but Windows 7 Professional x86 and 64bit are the same.

The enterprise copy of Office is a "Terminal Services" key. I can't tell you how many activations that is, but it seems to be quite a few. Definately more than 5, as I have activated mine on more than 5 installs over 3 PCs.

I haven't tried the enterprise version of Windows 7, so I can't tell you how many licenses you get total, but the key type is "Multiple Activation."

I'm also reasonably sure that, if you let the TechNet subscription lapse, the keys you got aren't revoked, but you obviously couldn't get any new keys.

Talonrazor

Essentially I am planning to use it to power our media network. No productivity, just a media server machine running Windows Home Server, several desktop PCs running Windows 7 and a few PCs attached to TVs/webcams for conferencing/streaming. I just need Windows Home Server, five Windows 7 Pro and five Windows Office 2010 on five different machines. That would be within the licensing, right? And the key activation limit?

mkissin

That definately sounds like you'd be able to get it done on a TechNet Standard subscription, although you'd be at your key limit for the Windows 7 installs (you may be able to request more keys from Microsoft, although I can't find the link for that option anymore).

It sounds pretty sketchy from a licensing view point (as seen here), as I understand the terms (however, I'm not a lawyer). Specifically, "you may not use it in a live operating environment." So, if it's for a work thing, you might want your boss to stump up for retail licenses. If it's for home, well, is that a live environment?

Kakodaimonos

mkissin wrote: »

That definately sounds like you'd be able to get it done on a TechNet Standard subscription, although you'd be at your key limit for the Windows 7 installs (you may be able to request more keys from Microsoft, although I can't find the link for that option anymore).

It sounds pretty sketchy from a licensing view point (as seen here), as I understand the terms (however, I'm not a lawyer). Specifically, "you may not use it in a live operating environment." So, if it's for a work thing, you might want your boss to stump up for retail licenses. If it's for home, well, is that a live environment?

You can only use TechNet installs for evaluation/research/QA purposes. You're breaking the license if you use TechNet installs to run actual production or end-user hardware. If it's a home environment, you should be fine. I use my MSDN installs in a similar fashion to perform "end-user QA/integration tests"

But if it's for a set of company servers, you should look at a bulk licensing scheme from Microsoft.

Tofystedeth

Yeah, if you're actually using those licenses to serve content instead of testing how to serve content, it'd be a violation.

warban

Technet standard also only gives 2 keys per software package. Each of those 2 keys can be activated a max of 10 times and once those keys are used you cannot get more on your account.

Granted there is about 5 different versions of the windows 7 Os. But it is still limited. The Corporate keys in the professional subscription for mass activation can be used 500 times but I don't know how true that is.