Is MSDN Windows 7/8 cals free?

BlackWizard

I work in a small company.

We will soon be moving off Bizspark and onto MSDN. Would I be right in saying that the developer machines that are using Windows 7/8 would not have to pay license fees if they get them from MSDN?

The whole point to MSDN is to provide developer machines and servers with easy and cheap access to Microsoft technologies to developer with right?

Thanks

awec

I'm pretty sure you are not supposed to use software obtained through MSDN in a production environment. Except for Office.

It's confusing, you'd be best phoning them up and explaining the situation. I'd do this before you purchase an MSDN subscription.

H3llR4iser

It's a bit convoluted, the MSDN subscription terms seem to have changed significantly from the last time I used one (talking 2002/2003). As we stand right now, it sounds like you can indeed use the MSDN windows license for development machines, but you would need an MSDN license for each person (in other words, you could install as many Windows or Office or VS copies as you want, as long as the same person uses all the machines).

Quoting a MS representative's response:

The MSDN Operating Systems subscription fits nicely for this type of scenario. The use rights allow you to install the software on any number of machines for design, development, test, and demonstration of your programs. Each other person using the software would need an MSDN license as well.

The OS's will each require a product key that you can get from the MSDN subscriber download site as you probably already know. Different products have different limits on the number of activations, and once you run out of activations you'll need to call MSDN Subscriber support to get another key. If you can avoid activating (because you don't need the build longer than 30 days), then you'll save yourself some time. But either way your MSDN license entitles you to install the software as many times as you need and we'll provide you the product keys for this.

You can see the thread here: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/da/msdnfeedback/thread/f3c47455-626d-4763-acaa-0f6f3f0bb9e2

However, this is talking about the "single user" MSDN subscriptions - e.g., a single freelance .NET developer.

What you might be interested in is the "Volume Licensing" scheme, found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/

Unfortunately I can't track any prices on that site...so your best bet is to ring or use the online quote thingie.

awec

Yup, ring them up and make it clear what you want to do. Specify you want to use this on your production machines in your business, how many people etc.

BlackWizard

Okay thanks. I think we will have to ring them up. It's all a little bit unclear right now.