Microsoft Partner Software usage?

Hi,

Questions regarding the Microsoft Partner Software usage. My company has a silver partnership and we have paid our fees.

Let me start by saying that I do understand what purposes I can use the licenses for. Basically internal and direct not for profit. I do not need a copied and pasted paragraph from Microsoft saying what they can be used for.

When reviewing the number of licenses entitled to my company, it says that we are entitled to 3 Exchange licenses for internal use. I understand that. But, it also says that we are entitled to an unlimited amount of Exchange for demonstration purposes.

When I click on the "Download for demonstration purposes" link, it brings me to the regular Partner download page where it shows that we are entitled to license 3 copies of Exchange. If we want to use it for demonstration purposes per what Microsoft says, do we use those same licenses, or will it count as a usage toward our 3 license entitlement? Or can someone explain how to use the software unlimitedly (not a word?) for demonstration purposes?

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Comments

jibbajabba

A lot of licenses for partners are on paper only really. What's the website you got the screenshot from ? Is that Partner.microsoft.com or is that the URL you are redirected too ?

I could have a look as I am almost sure that I have used the keys provided myself and Exchange reports unlimited Enterprise CALs ...

Tackle

This is the link to the page where you can select the "licensing information" to get to where I took the screen shots:
https://www.microsoft.com/msppdd/Home.aspx

You'll have to log in first.
And then from that link you can get to the downloads and keys as well.

So what I'm understanding from you is that the keys can be used more times than the actual number that they say you are entitled to? Just that you activate the key to the software for "Demonstration" purposes instead of "Internal use"?

jibbajabba

It's a bit different for us, it seems the CALs are a tad different (a CAL for example is required for online Archives)

Under downloads I am getting a single key

So it really looks like those licenses are paper licenses, so you use that key for both, internal and demonstration purposes and you have to obey the license agreement ...

Edit: There you go

If you have attained a Microsoft silver or gold competency, you may use the software licenses listed in the following table to run your business and train employees internally. These licenses must not be resold or used for direct revenue-generating activities, commercial purposes, personal purposes, or customer training. Licenses are provided for the latest released versions of Microsoft software only.
In addition to internal-use software, the program provides a certain number of MSDN subscriptions for partners that have earned Microsoft competencies and for Microsoft Action Pack Development and Design subscribers. MSDN subscriptions are licensed per user for the design, development, testing, and demonstration of your applications. You cannot use MSDN subscriptions offered through the Microsoft Partner Network for direct revenue-generating activities, such as providing consulting services, customizing a packaged application for a specific customer, or building a custom application for a customer, for a fee. You can use MSDN subscriptions for indirect revenue-generating activities, such as building a packaged application on the Microsoft platform, which you can then market and sell to your customers. You can also purchase MSDN subscriptions separately that you can use for direct revenue-generating activities.
Organizations can obtain additional silver or gold competency benefits, including internal-use licenses and Technical Support and Advisory Hours by purchasing an Additional Benefit Toolkit upon qualifying any location linked to your headquarters. A location qualifies when it attains either a silver or gold competency (specific to that location). After your location has attained a competency, you can order these Additional Benefit Toolkits within the Partner Membership Center. The benefits you receive include core and competency-specific benefits. Each qualifying location may obtain only one set of core benefits regardless of the number of competencies earned. These additional internal-use licenses are bound to the maximum grants listed in the Internal-Use Licenses table. Demonstration and training licenses are not bound to maximum grants.

Tackle

Yep, that's how the download looks like for us as well. Just the 1 key is provided, but you are entitled to multiple copies of the software. You get the same key for a few of the downloads as well. All the versions of windows 7 (Enterprise, Enterprise K, KN, and something else) have the exact same key. Must be an on your honor kind of deal.

Maybe the keys don't have a limit number of uses to them...or they Microsoft has some way to limit you to total # of activations. Say you are entitled to 3 but they see you activated it 5 times. 3 times for internal, and 2 for demonstration, then they only allow you a certain number of times you can activate it again. Just an example of my idea.