14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft might not be having any special offerings for end users wanting to purchase licenses of the latest iteration of the Windows client, but the company is allowing small and medium business customers to take advantage of a 50% discount when buying Windows 7. And the offer does not stop with Windows 7, as it is also valid for the next version of the Office System. Essentially, SMBs running Windows XP/Windows Vista, or Office XP/Office 2003/Office 2007 can buy Windows 7 and Office 2010 (after it will be released by mid-2010) at an “Up-To-Date discount” of 50%, available via the Open Value Subscription Program. The sole caveat is the fact that the discount is valid only for the year one payments of the subscription.
“What you get: 50%* off your 1st year OVS payment for Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Upgrade or Microsoft Office Professional for every qualifying N-1 or N-2 license you have. As an example, in the U.S., this means you would be paying $35.00 for a Windows 7 Professional Upgrade and/or $91.00 for Office 2007 Professional Plus in year 1, plus receiving all of the Software Assurance benefits (such as an automatic upgrade to Office 2010 when it launches, Office Home Use Rights, and much more) for that price,” revealed Eric Ligman, Global Partner Experience Lead Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group.
Small and medium businesses that will wish to leverage Up-To-Date discounts in order to buy Windows 7 Professional Upgrades will need to already have in place OEM, Retail, or Volume licenses for Windows 7 Professional, Windows Vista Business or Windows XP Professional, according to Ligman. At the same time, SMBs upgrading to Office Professional Plus ahead of Office 2010’s GA will need to own OEM, Retail, or Volume licenses for Microsoft Office 2007 Professional, Office 2003 Professional, or Office XP Professional. Once Office 2010 will be released by June 2010, companies looking to make the jump to Office 2010, will need OEM, Retail, or Volume licenses for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 or Office 2003 Professional .
“For the first time ever, Microsoft is expanding the 50%* off Up-To-Date discount to include TWO prior versions on both Microsoft Office Professional and Microsoft Windows worldwide and this offer will be available until June 30, 2010! (If you see “N-2”, “N” is the current version and “-2” means two prior versions) What this means is that millions of customers running older versions of Microsoft Office Professional and Microsoft Windows will now be able to take advantage of the Up-To-Date discount available through the Open Value Subscription Program to get 50%* off their Year 1 payments,” Ligman added.
Microsoft Windows 7 90-Day Eval VHD is available for download here.
Another Windows 7 RTM Enterprise 90-Day Evaluation is available for download here.
Office 2010 Beta 14.0.4536.1000 is available for download here.