Looks like the January Action pack will have the Demo Showcase for SBSC Partners.

http://blogs.technet.com/chrisp/archive/2006/11/27/the-demo-showcase-for-uk-small-business-partners.aspx

Does anyone have info as to whether the Business Version of Vista coming in the Action Pack is the version that supports Bit-Locker?

This would be quite cool to demo to potential customers - hardware permitting of course!

Thanks for the clarification David - I'll start saving the pennies now:-)

Given the ever increasing importance placed on securing mobile data (especially laptops) perhaps Microsoft will consider moving Bitlocker down the foodchain to enable small business users to benefit from the technology.

I can hear those smaller companies already - "What - £450(ish) per laptop!!

Of course if it was included as a benefit of Open Value Subscription well.......

Just a thought.

Merry Christmas to all in the MS SBS team.

Thanks for the clarification.

I've just viewed the on demand Licencing webcast from 5th Dec - wish I'd seen it prior to the above post!!!

It confirmed Vista Enterprise is avaialable to all customers with SA on Vista OEM\FPP PCs - excellent as lomg as the small business has more than 5 pcs.

Looking forward to the next licencing webcast in February.

Cheers

Alastair

Are we getting Groove in the Action Pack?  It seems to be a neat collaboration tool, but we need to see it working before we can recommend it.

Any news on the UK Pricing for upgrade to ultimate for MAP Customers

Also is it full version of Vista Buisiness or just an upgrade cd like it is with XP Pro

I am also Curious about Groove 2007 Server in the Action Pack.

I read somewhere that there was some kind of OEM offer if you ordered your actionpack before dec 31st?  any idea what the offer was?

I received the January 2007 Actionpack. I was very disappointed at the Vista Version being an Upgrade only version. So I have to have Windows XP running on a machine first. Meanwhile back in the real world its really inconvenient to have to have a prior OS on a test machine.

Is the version of Vista 32bit or 64bit?

Thanks for the reply David.

I have only installed Vista on one of my machines so far, it was one that was dual booting XP and Beta 2 of Vista. I booted up using the Upgrade DVD it saw the existing OS's and the the message was along the lines of "install vista from an operating currently installed". I read this to be no prior OS no upgrade.

I would love for someone to correct me.

Colin

Fix the Action Pack abuse by curing the disease, don't just treat the symptoms as you're suggesting above.

No one should be able to get an Action Pack subscription without some jumping through of hoops to prove they meet the qualifying requirements.

Go after the abusers. Send FAST after them. Get them fined, prosecuted, whatever it takes. PLEASE STOP MISTREATING legitimate Action Pack subscribers just because MS systems and procedures are inadequate to prevent the real abusers from playing the system.

As for Vista Business upgrade being an antipiracy measure, please don't make me laugh. Pirates will crack any and all protection on the full boxed versions soon enough. All you've done is make the legitimate Action Pack subscribers life so much more difficult, wasted more of our precious time and pis*ed off a load of MS advocates.

Come on Dave! I know you've got to tow the party line but the arguments are futile and full of holes.

Just wondered if anyone has found out how/where to apply for the upgrade for Ultimate edition? I can see no sign of it on any partner website.

Can any one help?

If you take advantage of the Windows Anytime Upgrade to convert some of your Vista Business Upgrade Licenses -> Vista Ultimate, will you be able to use Vista Ultimate Media to do a fresh install on a machine?

The thoughts of going XP Pro -> Vista Business Upgrade -> Vista Ultimate sends shivers down my spine.  The software pirates have it easier than the legit Microsoft Partners!

If a partner (or anyone) was to use Windows Anytime Upgrade to convert Vista Business Upgrade -> Vista Ultimate, would they get media or a Key to do a clean install of Vista Ultimate?

The thought of having to go XP Pro -> Vista Business Upgrade -> Vista Ultimate on any machine that I desire to do a fresh install on doesn't give me a good feeling.

The software pirates have it better than Microsoft's own partners if this is the case!

Hi david,

you mentioned actionpack forums?  can you tell me where they are located?  specifically any forums for uk actionpack subscribers.

Thanks

It says that our country is not eligable any news on why we can't upgrade, luckily my sector is taking well to getting vista which is good

David,

I am in the UK it says that it is not available for my country.

Thanks

Neil

Thank you for your interest in Windows® Vista™. Website language   English Español Français  

Windows Anytime Upgrade is not available in your country/region at this time. You can purchase the edition of Windows Vista you are interested in at a Microsoft authorized merchant.

That is the message I get for being in the uk, great hey

Ok, here's some interesting info on the UK MAPS Anytime Upgrade issue.

As of yesterday, if from the UK you go to www.windowsanytimeupgrade.com/maps you get a 'Not available in your Country/Region message'.

As of 30th Jan, if you go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/anytimeupgrade.mspx you get a 'This facility ($139USD Ultimate Upgrade) will be available from 30th Jan, please check back soon' message.

Today (01 Feb) I rang the MS Regional Centre and spoke withthe Action Pack team who HAD NO IDEA OR INFO ABOUT AN ULTIMATE UPGRADE FOR MAPS! I directed the guy to the url above and he put me on hold whilst he read it before telling me he was completely unaware of this upgrade option.

After doing all he could to help he eventually discovered that this is a US/Canada option only and not available to UK MAPS subscribers although due to the fact it allowed a UK user to go to the page and doesn't mention US/Canada Only on there he is raising it with the powers that be and getting back to me next week (He even gave me a call-back timeslot!).

David - do you have any light to shed on this issue? MS just dont seem to be talking across borders! I fail to see the point in MS Partners getting £1000's of software for £199p/a and then expected to pay more than half that for a consumer anytimeupgrade that covers just one of those licences!

I whole heartedly back what MikeP said and would like to echo his comments..

Craig

Wow, I'm super lost. What is the deal with the $139 upgrade? We have to PAY $139*10 for a license that expires in a year? Furthermore to do so we have to do an upgrade from XP to Business to Ultimate to learn the product to sell to clients? (great job Microsoft getting us the Action pack 3 days after the launch of your product....my customers are loving the "I haven't seen it" responses....thanks again....)

Who on this earth wants to start with a dirty install?

I too am a bit concerned about the only version of vista included. I am currently on Windows XP MediaCenter. Any the only upgrade path available to me with my action pack is to do a clean install of Vista Business (using the Easy Transfer program to move my setting) and then purchase the "upgrade" to Ultimate. The problem is though, while all of my settings will be saved, I have to REINSTALL all of my previous applications. That is a really tough upgrade path to 1) manually do and 2) justify paying the upgrade to ultimate .

I forgot to mention the main 'business' reason for all this fuss...

MS have probably made the assumption that MAPS users are business users and as such should have no need for anything but the Business edition of Vista. This is correct if we were using the software for the sole purpose of 'internal use' i.e. running our own businesses. However the majority of my clients, and like I'm sure many other MS Partners who use the Action Pack, are on Volume Licencing Agreements, as such they will be getting (and using) technologies such as BitLocker in their Enterprise editions that at present I have no experience of.

Several of our clients operate within the fields of healthcare, education, financial services - areas that could all benefit from advanced encryption functions...It's a shame that I'll be selling this blind because MS doesn't feel it necessary to include top-end technology in it's "Demonstration and Testing" Action Pack.

Office 2007 Enterprise was included in the MAPS, working on the logic of the Vista licence, wouldn't Pro or Pro+ have been good enough for MAPS users? NO. Why not? Because we need first hand experience of all the apps / technologies in order to effectively sell them. Let's be honest, I was less than impressed with XP MCE, I'm sure Ultimate will look very pretty when running Media Centre components, but I'm personally not that bothered. The issue here is that top-end technology (namely BitLocker) that has a real business use and provides a huge selling opportunity for many partners is, to us, simply words on a spec sheet. Can anyone provide a valid business reason as to why including at least one ultimate licence would have anything but a positive effect on Microsoft? I doubt it.