The real issue with Microsoft’s Partner Internal Use Licence removal

Long time partner, since around 2004. We have run and grown our business on the IUR available and been very grateful for them. I have no issue with the removal of the IUR for our business and paying our way now that we’re bigger and can afford it but…

1) Should only remove for businesses of a certain size, startups should still be able to use IUR or it will drive to competitors like GoogleDocs, etc, etc

2) The timing of it all is completely unacceptable and in my opinion the most understated piece of Microsoft’s complete lack of thinking around marketing and communication in a long time – and thats saying something!

They state the date that it will be finished is July2020 which doesn’t sound so bad, but that’s the completion date for the change of all partners. Every partner renewal from August 1st 2019 has it take effect and our Partner renewal is August 2nd – giving us about 3 weeks to sort everything out!!!? The impact of sorting out licencing for all the various bits in use, cost evaluating it, planning migrations to Azure or other services takes time and dropping a 3 week timetable on it regardless of us now needing to find an estimated 50k per/year for what we have in use.

I spent 2 hours on the phone to Partner support on Monday, they could tell me little and the only documentation they could provide was all labelled “PREVIEW” and “subject to change”. That is just not good enough, I’ve got no time to plan this and they can’t give me a final listing of all the software changes so I don’t even know what I need to buy or if that will change in a weeks time.

This is just silly and I’m a tad frustrated.

Conversation 23 comments

  • moogleassassin

    11 July, 2019 - 9:24 am

    <p>oh and they have said there is categorically no chance of us renewing a few days early. We have escalated it up and been told a flat no.</p>

  • waethorn

    11 July, 2019 - 10:17 am

    <p>Where is the original blog post where this became news?</p>

  • Tony Barrett

    11 July, 2019 - 10:18 am

    <p>I can't believe your company is ok with this. You're the people who make MS a lot of their money, and now they want to shaft you – a small company, because they can. It's a cash grab, no more. Some suit in MS thought it would be a good idea, and they'll soon see it wasn't as many drift to other 'partners' who maybe value them a little more.</p>

  • waethorn

    11 July, 2019 - 11:04 am

    <p>So considering that the IUR software is considered the ONLY reason to buy MAPS, what will small businesses get for their $550/yr now? Likewise, Certified and Gold Certified Partners still have to pay for competencies and/or certifications on top of their org partner fee, as well as meet sales goals. What are they getting for their partner fees in return?</p><p><br></p><p>Is Microsoft going to reduce the cost of these programs to next to nothing? Because that's the only way to make this right. Otherwise, I see a mass exodus of partners and businesses willing to recommend the Microsoft product stack to their clients.</p><p><br></p><p>Microsoft is telling partners that they don't need them to sell products anymore. Fine. Sell something else. F' em. Build unique solutions built on open source projects that can be customized to your clients needs instead.</p>

    • jchampeau

      Premium Member
      11 July, 2019 - 6:33 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#441192">In reply to Waethorn:</a></em></blockquote><p>I was wondering the same thing. I've been a MAPS subscriber since 2006. Back when it was $200ish and you got quarterly CD/DVD shipments, it was like Christmas four times a year. Then it started getting more and more expensive for less and less. Several years ago when it went to download-only, it got much less exciting but still a better deal than buying the licenses individually. Now I suspect they'll just kill off MAPS because there will seemingly be nothing worth paying money for.</p>

      • jean

        12 July, 2019 - 2:52 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#441288">In reply to jchampeau:</a></em></blockquote><p>I really only ever used Windows and Office products and occasionally a test instance of a SQL Server. Moving to O365 Business Premium will get me pretty much the same for just 12.50 USD a month (150 USD/year) – which would allow any small partner with less than 4 users to save money – even better as I also have a bunch of O365 Business Essential users licensed at 5 USD a month</p>

        • waethorn

          12 July, 2019 - 2:37 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#441367">In reply to jean:</a></em></blockquote><p>Mom &amp; Pop computer shops with 3 or less employees that don't use server products shouldn't be buying MAPS in the first place.</p>

          • jean

            13 July, 2019 - 2:05 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#441572">In reply to Waethorn:</a></em></blockquote><p>thanks for the advice. my M&amp;P shop has architected and partially engineered a total of 7 end user platforms (including the backends) for 4 fortune 500 companies with more than 100'000 clients each… the verb "use" in the original context is related to "for internal use" </p>

            • waethorn

              14 July, 2019 - 4:19 pm

              <blockquote><em><a href="#442089">In reply to jean:</a></em></blockquote><p>Frankly, I don't care about your gloating. If I had a nickel for every time I heard from a Mom &amp; Pop business online that claimed to support clients with 10's of thousands of users or more from Fortune 500 companies, I'd be retired by now. It's practically an Internet meme now.</p><p><br></p><p>Do you use servers internally? If you do, then you should probably buy MAPS, as it'll save you thousands of dollars (maybe 10's of thousands) in software licensing. I can confidently say that most don't use servers internally, especially if they drink the Microsoft Kool-Aid that even Paul likes to push – that SMB's should just use cloud hosting services like Azure, or else they have no need for hosting services and should just use some of the pre-established cloud services already in existence.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

              • jean

                15 July, 2019 - 1:37 am

                <blockquote><em><a href="#442526">In reply to Waethorn:</a></em></blockquote><p>funny – first you start calling SMBs, or specifically mine a M&amp;P shop, without really knowing either me or my company – then you call my reply gloating again without knowing who I am and what I've done in my past – but then best of all you at least get to the conclusion that not using internal server is likely the way to run SMBs – so what's it going to be ? my 2 cents: if you are in the consulting business (likely using more than one end user device) the O365/M365 offers are a better match as the T&amp;Cs allows you to use those licenses on more than one device as opposed to the 10 (not so) perpetual licenses that are to be used on single devices. and a final word: I've always felt that the benefits had been mutual (for whatever reasons quality, maturity, complexity customers AND Microsoft need consultants to support the eco-system)</p>

                • waethorn

                  16 July, 2019 - 9:09 pm

                  <blockquote><em><a href="#442661">In reply to jean:</a></em></blockquote><p>You're confused. That's okay. Let me say it more simply to you; your comparison of 4 or less people for the cost of MAPS was already explained. Mom &amp; Pop shops are micro-businesses, generally of less than 10 people. "Small businesses", according to Microsoft, can be anywhere up to 25-75 people (depending on the server product licensing they like they throw around). Approximately 3-4 users on Office 365 Business Premium only is about the break-even point for MAPS, so you're not saving any money buying into MAPS. Saying you do big projects doesn't even work into the equation, so it was a completely unnecessary statement for you to make, hence, you were gloating for no reason whatsoever.</p>

  • AnOldAmigaUser

    Premium Member
    11 July, 2019 - 11:08 am

    <p>The Inspire Conference starts July 14, Bastille Day. I have a feeling that Microsoft is going to be facing a revolution of their own if they do not have something to offer that offsets this.Very shortsighted, the revenue that this will generate is just not something that is going to move the needle for a firm the size of Microsoft.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    11 July, 2019 - 11:10 am

    <p>… Are they fucking insane?</p>

    • waethorn

      11 July, 2019 - 11:29 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#441203">In reply to jimchamplin:</a></em></blockquote><p>Well they got Satay Nutella leading the charge….</p><p><br></p><p>(he's nuts)</p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    11 July, 2019 - 12:14 pm

    <p>Unless it's online services you are using I guess you get turned into a pirate until ether Microsoft or you figure out what you need to buy. I wish you luck.</p>

  • garethb

    Premium Member
    11 July, 2019 - 11:58 pm

    <p>The stupidest part here is they're likely sending many of their 'partners' off to evaluate, and potentially switch to, competitive offerings for their own use. Once those partners are familiar with, and happy to use and support those products internally, why would they be pushing MS's products over stuff *they know* to their customers?</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    12 July, 2019 - 3:01 am

    <p>Is the Microsoft Leadership team actually made up of turncoats from other companies?</p><p><br></p><p>It really seems that the decisions to end MSDN software access and now IUR are designed to be as partner-hostile as possible. These decisions are so stupid and poorly-weighed-out that it feels like Sundar Pichai was the one who came up with them.</p><p><br></p><p>Yes. The CEO of rival Alphabet came up with Microsoft's plans. That's how shitty this decision and other related ones have been. Microsoft, if you're reading… Feel ashamed. You're shitting on your best friends, and for what? The hope that a business-friendly-percentage of them turn over into paying customers?</p><p><br></p><p>The overwhelming number of them will simply become enemies. Good job you halfwit short-term-profit-obsessed morons. </p>

  • karlinhigh

    Premium Member
    12 July, 2019 - 11:09 am

    <p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"The impact of sorting out licencing for all the various bits in use"</em></p><p><br></p><p>This is why I avoid Microsoft server offerings. I've repeatedly tried to figure out what a customer could expect to pay for a Windows Server product, and the licensing stuff defeats me every time. In my experience, the USA Internal Revenue Service publications are easier to understand than Microsoft's licensing models.</p><p><br></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"I spent 2 hours on the phone to Partner support on Monday"</em></p><p><br></p><p>Also, Microsoft and the IRS have astonishingly similar hold music.</p>

  • navarac

    12 July, 2019 - 1:52 pm

    <p>….and Microsoft have reconsidered and withdrawn the whole thing. Obviously the backlash was just TOO much.</p>

  • waethorn

    12 July, 2019 - 2:34 pm

    <p>People can calm their tits now:</p><p><br></p><p>zdnet.com/article/microsoft-capitulates-and-agrees-to-undo-planned-partner-product-licensing-changes/</p><p><br></p><p>The question is: are you gonna stick around and let Microsoft keep pushing your buttons?</p><p><br></p>

  • moogleassassin

    13 July, 2019 - 3:51 am

    <p>So the classic bait and switch. Announce, allow uproar then reverse it then in 18months from now bring it back under a different name when people have had time to mentally allow for the possibility… </p><p><br></p><p>We will be back here in 18 months and next time they won't reverse it. </p>

    • waethorn

      16 July, 2019 - 8:52 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#442102">In reply to moogleassassin:</a></em></blockquote><p>I think it'll be less than that. They say they review it every year.</p>

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