14 DAY TRIAL // Customers looking to buy a new license of Office might want to wait a tad, as Microsoft “guarantees” that they won’t be sorry. Offering customers free copies of Windows and Office is already an established marketing strategy for Microsoft. Windows Vista and Windows 7 were both made available free of charge via what the Redmond company referred to as Technology Guarantee programs. In this context, it’s of little surprise the fact that the software giant is planning similar offerings around the next iteration of the Office System. Specifically, via the Microsoft Office 2010 Technology Guarantee Program, customers that purchase Office 2007 between March and September of this year will be eligible for receiving a free copy of Office 2010 after the product becomes generally available.
Charles Van Heusen, a member of the Microsoft TS2 team but also with support responsibilities for the SMS&P Partner Channel, revealed to members of the Microsoft Partner Network that they would be able to “sell Office 2007 today and your customer can download Office 2010 free!” (via ArsTechnica) Van Heusen effectively managed to leak the information via a blog post which was since then pulled down, mainly because Microsoft is not yet ready to disclose information related to the Office 2010 Technology Guarantee Program with the public.
However, Van Heusen had already revealed the program in detail, including how customers would be able to make themselves eligible for accessing free copies of Office 2010: “Purchase Office 2007—Customer buys qualifying Office 2007 product (with or without a new PC) from an authorized reseller between March 5 – September 30, 2010,” he explained. “Install and Activate Office 2007—Customer installs and activates Office 2007 by September 30, 2010. Download Office 2010—Customer simply downloads Office 2010 for free when Office 2010 is available, or orders a DVD for a fee. Customer must request upgrade by October 31, 2010.”
Customers that will acquire Office Home and Student 2007 will be able to take advantage of free upgrades to Office Home and Student 2010. Microsoft will be offering free upgrades as follows: Office Standard 2007 to Office Home and Business 2010, Office Small Business 2007 to Office Professional 2010, Office Professional 2007 to Office Professional 2010 and Microsoft Publisher 2007 to Microsoft Publisher 2010.
“Office 2010 downloads will be accessible at general availability. Discs can be ordered for a fee. Eligible Office 2007 software must be purchased from Microsoft or an authorized reseller and activated between March 5, 2010 and September 30, 2010. Request your Office 2010 product by October 31, 2010 using your activated Office 2007 Product Key and dated sales receipt. One Office 2010 product per qualifying Office 2007 purchase, limit twenty-five per person,” Van Heusen added.
