Businesses should lobby Microsoft for “additional
benefits” to make up for the cost of administering new license
activation requirements for the forthcoming Windows Vista operating
system, analysts have urged.
Industry analyst Gartner has warned that the way Microsoft plans
to make volume license users activate their Windows Vista
installations will cost more in staff time and hardware than they
will gain in added security.
Microsoft has not previously required volume users to activate
their licenses for each desktop machine. Instead, companies with
select or open licenses have been given a volume license key (VLK),
which allows software installed using volume media to run without
activating its license.
But Gartner said Microsoft’s Volume Activation plan will mean
users either have to ensure PCs activate to a Microsoft server
using a Multiple Activation Key, or to an internally hosted Key
Management Service, or combine the two methods. The Volume
Activation plan is likely to extend from Vista to other products,
Gartner believes.
Gartner said there were some benefits for users because
activation would ensure a core set of Windows components was
checked for tampering.
But the analyst said: “However, we don't see this as sufficient
to offset the labour and hardware that will be needed.”
Gartner added: “While Microsoft works to recoup pirated revenue,
customers may wonder what's in it for them.” Corporate users should
“lobby Microsoft for additional benefits to help them defray the
cost” of administering the new requirements, the analyst urged.