Will there be a corporate version of Vista?

[digitalwanderer]

Like XP corporate, where you don't have to register/activate it.....will there be one for Vista like that too?

 

[SugarCoat]

no

Microsoft is building in strict and punitive "protection" controls into Windows Vista and next Windows Server to ensure that consumers and business customers are properly licensed and using legal copies of Windows.

The Microsoft Software Protection Platform, unveiled formally on Wednesday, requires that all customers —consumers who buy PCs and business customers with volume licensing agreements — activate their Windows Vista and Windows Longhorn Server licenses with Microsoft and prove that they have a genuine copy of Windows client or server running — or face punishment.

If a retail consumer fails to active their product within 30 days of purchase, or tries to activate Vista and fails, key features of the new Windows upgrade — the "Aero" user interface, Windows Defender, ReadyBoost performance enhancer, Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Media Player 11— will be disabled.

The company acknowledges that customers with non-valid Windows will be nagged with "persistent notifications" and given the chance to get legal, but if they don't comply within 30 days, the product will automatically move into this "reduced functionality mode," Microsoft said.

As part of the new program, Microsoft is introducing new Multiple Activation Key (MAK) options for customers with fewer than 25 PCs and a Key Management Service option for corporations with more than 25 PCs or more than five Windows servers. These licensed customers must activate within 30 days or also be forced to use the crippled version of Vista, Microsoft acknowledged in a detailed paper released Wednesday.

http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=193104692&pgno=1&queryText=

The new OEM Activation process that kicks off with Vista improves upon that by ensuring that Windows Vista SKUs licensed to an OEM function only on that OEM's hardware.

^^lol, dont you dare try to steal Dells Vista installations you bastards at HP!

In short every version of Vista will require activation to function. Only thing i'm still waiting for confirmation on is the limit of activations on a single PC with a retail version over an upgrade.

 

[Bludd]

There is no such thing as Windows XP corporate edition. There is a VLK version, though.

 

[digitalwanderer]

There is no such thing as Windows XP corporate edition. There is a VLK version, though.

Huh? Why does it call itself "Windows XP Corporate" then?

Thanks SugarCoat, appreciate the info.

 

[Maintank]

This ought to bring joys to the IT staff at every corporation in the country. Nothing like trying to figure out why your key server isnt validating the clients and employee's are twiddling their dinks in the breeze while you get MS on the horn.

 

[ANova]

Only thing i'm still waiting for confirmation on is the limit of activations on a single PC with a retail version over an upgrade.

It's 10 times for all versions, that includes reinstallation. They claim that you won't have to activate unless you upgrade more than one component.

 

[Bludd]

Huh? Why does it call itself "Windows XP Corporate" then?

Uh? Where does it call itself that?

 

[zsouthboy]

Uh? Where does it call itself that?

Think about that one for a second.

 

[digitalwanderer]

This ought to bring joys to the IT staff at every corporation in the country. Nothing like trying to figure out why your key server isnt validating the clients and employee's are twiddling their dinks in the breeze while you get MS on the horn.

I bet M$ goes back on their word and does put out a corporate version on the quiet-side after all the corporations start complaining.

 

[ANova]

I bet M$ goes back on their word and does put out a corporate version on the quiet-side after all the corporations start complaining.

That will only happen if sales are bad, so maybe.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I'll take a maybe.

 

[Bludd]

Think about that one for a second.

Yeah, and those are not official by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Blazkowicz]

If a retail consumer fails to active their product within 30 days of purchase, or tries to activate Vista and fails, key features of the new Windows upgrade — the "Aero" user interface, Windows Defender, ReadyBoost performance enhancer, Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Media Player 11— will be disabled.

Cool! I don't need that crap anyway
can I have my "crippled" Vista right now?

 

[Albuquerque]

Yeah, and those are not official by any stretch of the imagination.

Yeah, I'm taking Bludd's back on this one. Directly from a Microsoft-led WinXP chat on May 23rd of this year (entire chat log can be found here

Fred Nava [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: What is the difference between Windows XP Professional Edition and Corporate Edition?
A: Hi Eric, I've never heard of Windows XP Corporate Edition. It might be a simple branding device for Volume Licensing but the only actual client SKUs for Windows XP were Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows XP Home Edition, and Windows XP Professional Edition.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Ok, lemme rephrase my question then; will their be Volume Licensing with simple branding again that doesn't need activation?

 

[Albuquerque]

As has been repeated consistently across this thread and the myriad of threads just like it on this forum and others, ALL VERSIONS of Vista will require activation in one form or another.

The only difference for activation on corporate licenses is the ability to use a central activation server (or cluster of such servers)

 

[digitalwanderer]

The only difference for activation on corporate licenses is the ability to use a central activation server (or cluster of such servers)

That should be enough.

 

[zsouthboy]

Yeah, and those are not official by any stretch of the imagination.

What are you talking about?

They are "Corporate" versions of XP that require a VLK.

MS may not call them XP Corporate Edition, but it's at least XP Professional VLK.

 

[Bludd]

What are you talking about?

I was referring to digitalwanderer's insinuation.

 

[digitalwanderer]

What insinuation?