Microsoft has a great deal for partners: you get over 15 pieces of software including licenses for Exchange 2000, Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, SQL Server 2000, 10 licenses for Windows XP Professional, 10 Office XP Professional, 10 Outlook 2002, 10 FrontPage 2002, 10 Visio 2002 SR1 Professional and 10 Project 2002. All of this is NFD (Not For Distribution) software but you ARE allowed to run it in production (“internal business use” as Microsoft calls it). The “catch” (if you can call it that) is that it’s a subscription which means you are only licensed for the software for a year. At the end of the year, you can
1) resubscribe or
2) buy licenses outright or
3) deinstall the software.
The Standard Action Pack normally sells for $299 but Microsoft has a special promotion going on right now: $99 for a year (code MHQ062). Now, you have to be a Microsoft Partner but it’s not difficult to become one. If your business provides Microsoft software or solutions to 3rd party customers then all you have to do is fill out a form to become a Registered Partner. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/partner for details on becoming a partner and http://www.microsoft.com/partner/actionpack for details on the action pack or to purchase a subscription.
Oh, one more thing: they ship quarterly updates. OK, $99 for all that PLUS you get updates every 3 months. Are you convinced yet? I can’t figure out why anyone wouldn’t do this.