Software Asset Management (SAM) Blog

With the vast majority of commercial organizations still shunning any widescale roll-out of Windows Vista, Microsoft will be hoping for better things from Windows 7. The latest and greatest operating system will now officially ship on October 22 2009, according to multiple news reports.

Windows 7 will come in five different editions including Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate.

Microsoft has joined forces with the Linux Foundation to draft a shared letter to the American Law Institute (ALI) on the subject of software licensing laws.

Both software providers are concerned that ALI is considering a guideline that would make the assumption that all software should be shipped with no defects, and that this should be considered a de facto warranty.

TYhe ALI is made up of members from the American legal establishment, which draws up guidelines for judges that explain how the law should be applied in legal cases. This week the group meets to finalise the Principles of the Law of Software Contracts.

Microsoft has re-named its ‘Windows Genuine Advantage’ tool for the upcoming releases of Windows 7. The vendor has announced the new version of the prodct will be named ‘Windows Activation Technology’ - apparently to more accurately reflect how the technology actually works.

Microsoft claims the new version is “fundamentally different” to the original tool that was introduced as an XP add-on.

Microsoft recently announced Release Candidate 1 of Windows 7, which is now expected to ship before the end of the year.

The exchequer secretary to the Treasury, Angela Eagle has confirmed that the UK Government and Microsoft have reached agreement over a new software licensing deal. The Office of Governement Commerce (OGC) claims the new deal will save the Government some £75 million (us $114 million) over the next five years.

While the details of the deal are not clear, it is reported that the Government will be able to re-use old licenses and that license terms have been agreed that allow departments to only pay for those components of Microsoft’s usual software bundles that they actually intend to use.

The new five-year deal replaces the previous three-year agreement - the longer time-frame is said to better suit Government buying cycles.