Steve Ballmer Announces Retirement

Steve Ballmer announced he is retiring in the next 12 months.

http://on.wsj.com/178A07C

Respectfully,

Cody Skidmore

Dutch Blog from 'ZoWieZo' against the decision of Microsoft Retires TechNet subscriptions:

18 jaar van mijn leven, tijd, geld en moeite gegeven aan één bedrijf, en nu laten ze mij als een  blok vallen:

MICRO$OFT RETIRES
"TECHNET SUBSCRIPTIONS"

  

     Ja zo ga ik ze noemen: M$ want dat is waar ze voor staan. 18 geleden belande ik in de IT/ICT, want direct uitzicht op een baan, in de situatie die ik toen had - had ik niet direct. Ik begon eerst voor mijzelf, 6 jaar lang in de "entertainment industrie" en de "horeca", op zich niets mis mee, maar de prijzen veranderden drastisch in 1991-1995 voor de huur van artiesten, licht, geluid, apparatuur en decor. Raakte persoonlijk failliet / zodoende in de WW en Schuld Sanering, verkocht mijn huis, en besteed de overwaarde van die verkoop in mijn nieuwe opleiding: Unix System-V, System Administrator I + II.
    Na het behalen van mijn diploma's werd al snel duidelijk dat de kleine firma's Windows For Workgroups 3.11 draaide en de grotere firma's Windows NT 3.51, Unix systemen waren er haast niet, en als ze er waren, waren ze heel moeilijk te vinden. Dus ik telde mijn sommetje op: Vraag = Aanbod, en besloot mij direct te gaan Certificeren voor het bedrijf dat het Windows product op de markt zette: Micro$oft (M$ in het kort). Ik heb mijn opleidingen zelf moeten betalen via Studie afbetaling regelingen, op zich niet verkeerd zo'n regeling - het mes snijd dan aan 2 kanten.
Eerst MCP, MCSA, daarna MCSE, en direct daarop; MCSE+I, die I staat voor Internet, en vertegenwoordigd de toenmalige Internet producten: Internet Explorer, MS Proxy Server(tegenwoordig ISA), IIS Server, en Exchange Mail Server - dit omdat ik vanuit UNIX als Internet Specialist was gecertificeerd, ik kon immers alles met HTML/Java/VB/PHP/Perl en alle gerelateerde talen en scripts.
1996 ging ik voor MCSE NT4.0, Dec-1999 voor MCSE 2000, en omstreeks 2004 MCSA 2003, nu is 2008 deze zomer juist verlopen, en ik was letterlijk bezig met alle 2008/2008-R2 certificeringen, want ik moest me eigenlijk richten op Windows 2012 Server.

      Ik heb nu 18 jaar van mijn leven besteed aan een bedrijf, waaruit nu blijkt dat ik ze gewoonweg niet vertrouwen kan. Juist Microsoft Corp.  / het bedrijf waar ik in 1999 / 2000 / 2001 voor heb gewerkt, waar voor ik letterlijk iedereen heb verteld, hoe geweldig hun Windows product wel niet is, en alle aanverwante producten zoals het beste relationele database: SQL Server, de beste Collaboration Mail Server: Exchange, en dan nog niet te spreken over hun CMS/DMS GroupWare Server over Web: SharePoint Server, of hun Admin tools, die 'niets kosten' als je een Enterprise License Agreement afsloot, en dat deden al mijn klanten, ik  verkocht het Microsoft product, en dat deed ik goed, maar ondertussen kreeg ik geen extra geld. Ik werkte gratis en voor niks, voor Microsoft Corp./BV.

     Ik certificeerde mijzelf, op kosten van mijn Eigen portemonnee! Ik kocht een TechNet Subscription Licentie Pack om zodoende te kunnen ontwikkelen, oefenen, trainen, leren, implementeren, door te doen, en te doen, en weer, en weer - Want dat kon met TechNet, geen beperkingen, gewoon gaan met die banaan.

    Ik ben één van de vele TechNet Subscribers die in Micro$oft gecertificeerd is, en in Micro$oft geloofde, ik ben 1 van de grote groep, die bestaat uit meer dan 10.000 mensen - die net zo als ik, vanaf 15 jaar TechNet Subscriptions hebben besteed, betaald en daar boven op zich hebben gecertificeerd voor alle Micro$oft producten, en daar weer boven op, geheel belangen loos en gratis, verkoop-werkzaamheden hebben verricht om Micro$oft maar groter te laten worden...  

Minimaal 10.000 Fans -
die in dienst staan van jou product -
in 1 keer in de afgrond laten vallen...

      Wat gaat er dan door die koppen van die fans - heen?
Zouden zij trouw aan Micr$oft blijven?

     Zouden zij meer geld spenderen, op het moment dat de economie slecht gaat, zouden zij langer achter een bedrijf zich verschuilen en weer hun portemonnee opentrekken om vervolgens tijd te besteden om wederom gecertificeerd te worden - voor een product van een bedrijf, die hun zo juist als een baksteen heeft laten vallen?

 

    Ik heb zo mijn twijfels, zeker als je nu ook nog eens ziet, dat de grootste Share Holders (geld investeerders, waarbij miljoenen US dollars gemoeid gaan) van Microsoft erg veel kritiek hebben van de uitrol van: Windows 8, Office 2013, Office 365, Azure Cloud oplossingen, X-Box1 Game console, en hun nieuwe hardware parade paardje, die volledig mislukt is: Windows RT met de Surface ARM Tablet.  Wat een flop was dat zeg!

     Deze grootste Share Holders balen, want de omzet ging omlaag, en vanuit de grote money-pot mest er dit jaar 900 miljoen bijgelegd worden, en wie zou die 900 miljoen betalen denk je? Precies, de waarde wordt terug verhaald op de waarde van de Shares, dus die waarde gaat opeens omlaag.

  

     De vraag is, gaat Micro$oft zijn huidige plannen doorzetten? Wat als dat gebeurd, zal +/- 65% van alle TechNet Subscribers, Microsoft op eens als een baksteen laten vallen - net zo als Micro$oft dat bij hun heeft gedaan. 

Gaat Microsoft zijn voorgangers achterna?

Novell? SCO? Corel? Solaris?

Ze zijn in ieder geval hard op weg!

 

is ondertekend,

ZoWieZo aka MPVS

Please, sign the petition:
https://www.change.org/petitions/continue-technet-or-create-an-affordable-alternative-to-msdn

We made it! More than 9,000 signatures!

We made it past 9,000 signatures today and also... uh oh. We broke Change.org

https://www.change.org/petitions/continue-technet-or-create-an-affordable-alternative-to-msdn

Rebuttal to Toddy Mladenov's article on sys-con.com

The following is a rebuttal to Toddy Mladenov's article from SYS-CON MEDIA.

Toddy Mladenov, I wanted to make a few points about your article.

Free Evalutaions

Free has a nice ring to it; however, you failed to mention the software is only free for 30 to 180 days. Labs are set up with one or more servers and layers of software. Configure everything is time-consuming. Testing is often prolonged, over lapping, and intermittent. Forcing IT professionals to tear down and completely rebuild such testing environments every 180 days add substantial, unnecessary work. Furthermore, the list of free evaluations doesn’t include any previous products such as Windows 7. For that matter, only Windows 8 Enterprise is available. This may seem like a small point except companies are slow to adopt new products. Many only recently migrated to Windows 7.

Free Evaluations: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/bb291020.aspx

Pricing

As you point out, prices continue to drop. Windows 8 is certainly more affordable than Windows 7. This probably has more to do with luring reluctant customers to Windows 8. If Windows 8 was wildly popular, I doubt it would have the same price.

MSDN

Yes, TechNet subscribers can switch to MSDN. However, your statement that MSDN costs a few hundred dollars more annually is patently false. The subscription you referred to for $349 is TechNet Pro. The closest MSDN match is “Visual Studio Premium with MSDN” for $6,119. A $5,770 difference is hardly a few hundred dollars more a year. The subscription contains expensive developer tools IT professionals don’t need. I doubt they will ever claim to be developers either.

TechNet: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/hh442910.aspx

MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/buy.aspx

Installations And Azure

Yes, cloud services are convenient. Remember, this is about testing. Suggesting that evaluating software for a single day is sufficient draws a stark contrast between your opinion and reality.

Additionally, saying Azure costs a few bucks is disputable. The services required to perform lab testing in the cloud is certainly more than a few bucks a day. It is difficult to know how much because the fee schedule for Azure is so complex, we cannot adequately project cost.

The Problem with IT Pros

You suggested the real problem was IT pros themselves. If our roles were reversed, you would find this offensive. The world is changing as it always will, but predicting the future of IT is a fool’s errand. For proof look no further Microsoft’s projections for Window 8 and Windows Surface. Juxtapose them with Microsoft’s recent $900 million write down and its $34 billion stock sell-off (the largest in 13 years).

You allude to Microsoft knowing what’s best for us. Under the circumstances, Microsoft is hardly in a position to give us advice. From our perspective, switching to Azure is better for Microsoft not necessarily us. I’d like to remind you, companies and their IT staffs are Microsoft’s customers. You seem to have inverted the relationship. IT professionals focus on non-cloud solutions because their customers demand it. The facts don’t support your assertion that the traditional role of IT is near its end.

The public should read up on this subject and draw its own conclusions. Read comments left by nearly 9,000 IT professionals on the petition and elsewhere on the Internet. The following links will help.

Internet Discussions: http://bit.ly/15lmkGx

Petition Comments: http://chn.ge/16uLiRA

Our Blog: http://SaveTechNet.com

Respectfully,

Cody Skidmore

As LinkedIn is becoming a very huge and good reliable business source to get in contact with others and equals, some of us decided to build some groups and pages at LinkedIn, starting with the Australian/New Zealand region, while these countries does not have its holydays now.

Here is Michael Siddall's group: SafeTechNet.
Read what he doing, this guy is very interesting...

Apparently Microsoft Had Enough Over In The TechNet Forum

Today, moderators on the TechNet Website Feedback locked a user intitiated thread where TechNet fans were asking for answers about the closing of TechNet. It looks like that channel of communication is closing!

Respectfully,

Cody Skidmore

Article in the Puget Sound Business Journal

Emily Parkhurst of Puget Sound Business Journal in Seattle Washington published an article about our plight to keep TechNet open. We should see more coverage in the coming weeks.

Respectfully,

Cody Skidmore

InformationWeek Article

Kevin Casey of InformationWeek published an article about our effort to keep TechNet open. We're asking Microsoft to help us find a compromise that addresses its objectives without denying us viable access to software.

Respectfully,

Cody Skidmore

In July 2000 Steve Balmer declared War with their System revival enemy Linux - In July 2013 he did it again, declaring War - with his largest Enterprise Fan Group: Microsoft TechNet Subscribers.
Lesson of live:
Never be angry with the group that really likes you and made you, for what you are today!

Just a reminder: The Ones that Make You, Can also Brake You!

Someone else wrote:
_____________________________________________________________
jeffz    on Jul 2, 2013:
http://winsupersite.com/windows/microsoft-kills-technet-subscriptions
_____________________________________________________________

Like you I recently renewed and the announcement this week was a big disappointment. I've been a TechNet subscriber for years - remember when they used to ship boxes of CDs ?
TechNet was always a great way for the individual IT Pro to keep current on MS technologies, build labs, etc.
Sure cloud based or time-slotted "trials" will fill some of the void - but when I compare to the various Linux flavors and Apache Projects I run - all of which were free - I was already willing to pay MS to that ability to download and install their products...
But without an inexpensive longer term model - my work in the space will end with 8.1/2012 R2.
I guess this is the new world of the device and services company...
Sad...

_____________________________________________________________
And I do agree...

Here are some others URL's concerning TechNet Retirement: 
Like to read?
Here is what others Blogged as well:
_________________________________________________
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/17dce8ef-a813-4abd-943b-481640e1973c/microsoft-reconsider-technet-retirement

http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/save-technet

http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/technet-subscriptions-ending

http://www.winbeta.org/news/microsoft-kill-technet-subscriptions-next-year

http://techreport.com/news/25032/technet-down-microsoft-shuttering-subscriptions-program

http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/01/microsoft-technet-shut-down/

http://www.neowin.net/news/petition-wants-microsoft-to-continue-technet

http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/TechEdNA/Any-chance-of-a-complimentary-TechNet-subscription-like-last-year

http://www.toadworld.com/platforms/sql-server/b/weblog/archive/2013/07/09/farewell-to-technet-again.aspx

http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Retires+TechNet+Paid+Subscriptions+for+IT+Deployers/article31875.htm

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/34863-Microsoft-TechNet-MSDN-keys-will-expire-at-end-of-subscription-period

http://www.zdnet.com/to-fight-piracy-microsoft-tightens-msdn-and-technet-terms-again-7000000131/

http://www.zdnet.com/enterprise-fanboys-push-back-on-technet-subscription-shutdown-7000018319/

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=2255209

http://ebraiter.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/microsoft-to-begin-to-kill-off-technet-plus-subscriptions-in-august/

http://www.guru3d.com/news_story/microsoft_to_end_technet_next_month.html

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/354847-technet-subscriptions-being-cancelled-and-no-longer-offered-ms-are-you-nuts

http://www.aidanfinn.com/?p=15171

http://winsupersite.com/windows/microsoft-kills-technet-subscriptions

http://tfl09.blogspot.com/2013/07/microsoft-planning-to-end-technet.html

http://exchangeserverpro.com/microsoft-cancels-technet-subscription/

http://windowsitpro.com/windows/can-it-community-save-technet

http://www.channelweb.co.uk/crn-uk/news/2280804/microsoft-insists-it-is-listening-to-technet-fury

http://4sysops.com/archives/technet-subscription-end-did-you-sign-the-petition

http://4sysops.com/archives/technet-petition-counterpoint/


So, I'm not the only one who is worried.... ;-)

Regards & Respect,
M:P

Maybe we can try to reach the Microsoft TechNet Evangelists ?

IT Pro Evangelist(s) for selected area:
http://www.technetevents.com/Presenters.aspx

And convince the our story about how a company can go down the drain, if this company drops contact and control over their biggest Fan-Group; so called TechNet?

http://www.technetevents.com/Presenters.aspx
Lets try and see - I mean, what do you have to lose?
Support your future, and claim you right.
Don't stand there, do something!


Thank you for reading my thoughts,

Regards & Respect,
M:P

What about early prolongation of TechNet Subscription, as Microsoft offered this recently?

An Email came from a TechNet Subscriber, and wanted my point of view:

What about early prolongation of TechNet Subscription, as Microsoft offered this recently?

My current subscription ends in March 2014, till the end on the August 2013 I can buy 1-year subscription and prolong it to March 2015. Then, termination of paid services in September 2014 by Microsoft will be a case for legal actions, won't be?

My answer:

At least, I won't start such thing as prolong my Subscription - while  I had a phone talk (very recently) to a Microsoft lawyer / hired Advocacy Office from the Netherlands, he explained that after end of September 2013, you will only have access to TechNet, you will not receive any NEW downloads and NEW Product ID-Keys - you only have access to the current published which you already had from day one.

With other words, the amount of money that you pay for a full TechNet Subscription, will be the same, but the value of the content of that same TechNet Subscription - will not be having the full value as you are used to have TechNet as before.

For instance: with TechNet Subscription, you got an extra 1 Support Call, that will not be available after the end of September 2013. So at the end of September, you will end up with;
 - Just Access to the downloads,
 - and download them with the Akamai Download Manager ,
 - Read your existing Product ID-Keys,
 - Request your new Product ID-Keys of existing downloads,
 - and everything what TechNet has to offer for free, like the Newsgroups, Blogs, Support pages, and Evaluation versions of all existing software that is as published nowadays.

What Microsoft is trying to reach, is that access to all legacy software is discontinued after 1 year from now. Microsoft want to force companies to use their Azure Cloud Services.

Microsoft costs to let the legacy systems keep supporting are running to high, they just can't afford the continuing of Windows XP after April 2014 anymore.

With other words:  I believe that Microsoft is "into deep shit, up till their throats".

This is just a part of a survival plan...

 So regarding your statement, do not expect to much of a prolonging or renewal of TechNet Subscription after September 2013:

- Software Activation can't be done after September 2014 anymore -

Me for instance, I've got a 3 year subscription, I can't prolong my current subscription, cause if have a 3 year subs. already, But I have to pay, next year at my renewal date, a full TechNet fee, to just get access to my downloads and product keys.

In my honest opinion, that is not the same..., as I used to have.

Till so far, thank you for reading my thoughts
respect and regards,
M:P

Puget Sound Business Journal is having a Interview with: M.P. van Sijll, the answers...

Hi there Emily,

thank you so much for having the time to questioning me at the first place,
I hope this will help us all for the future.


This is my answer:

I'm Mark Peter van Sijll from the Netherlands, born and raised and now working for more then 17 years in the IT business. I started in the IT as a UNIX System Administrator, but soon it was clear to me that about in the year of 1995 Microsoft Corp. was going to grow tremendously to be one of the greats of earth. So I had to be there with them.

Over the years, I have several dozen companies, large and small, regional, national, and even international, and I all helped them with their IT problems. I could because I was certified Microsoft for their products. I did installations, migrations, movements and left large decentralized systems merge into central systems. I even worked at Microsoft BV in the Netherlands myself, helped the first upgrade of the Windows NT4 Domain, to the Windows 2000 Active Directory - the very first LDAP directory of the Microsoft Windows NT operating system.

Over the years I searched for tools and a ways to help me in these migrations, installations and movements of small and large IT systems.That search was not difficult;
Microsoft had the answer! So called 'TechNet Subscriptions'!

TechNet Subscriptions has helped me tremendously. Crazier still, I can't even accomplish my work without it. TechNet for IT professionals = New and Legacy Knowledge, New and Legacy Technology, so for the IT business that means the power to survive, to always have work, cause you are the Senior, you are the experienced guy they so badly need. Microsoft has asked us over the years, and slightly forced us to get Certified in their products. That most of us have already done for multiple times, because we believed in this company, we believed in these products. We treat them - if they are our own.
To be honest to you: I personally think that all TechNet subscribers are Microsoft best Sales Force Team that "Do the Talks and the Walks" - all the way! We do sell!
I already have more then a decade multiple TechNet Subscriptions, even more because I enjoyed also Action Pack, which comes with a TechNet Subscription Professional+DVD Media. For me TechNet has become an addiction, I can't work without it.

You told/asked me that; Microsoft has said the main reason for shutting down TechNet is piracy.
That is a very strange thing to say, because Microsoft published the opposite...?!
Where did you get this source? It is wrong...

Even in the contrary, Microsoft said on their website and E-mail to me, that it had nothing to do with Piracy in any way, and I am the only TechNet subscriber that does believe them in this matter.
While I know what is going on...,
this whole TechNet Retirement is about MONEY!
About Sales Numbers, its about selling their newest / latest products for new fresh cash. Microsoft wants to get rid of their Legacy Systems:
Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and even Windows Seven.
Same as with SQL Server, Exchange Server, all Server product, same as with the Applications: Office 2003, is still widely used in the whole world. Microsoft wants to abandon their own products.
Not that they hate them? No, they just does not bring new cash.
Old Legacy software only brings unpaid support work, because they promised the world to do so for them within their own Warranty. And now their own Warranty is killing their sales numbers. 
Why you would say? / That's so simple: The Cloud!
Microsoft wants you, to own you and your data. To make you more dependent from their Azure Cloud system. / And this all, while not everybody, not every company wants to be in that Cloud!
Better yet: There existing huge business groups, that simply does not trust Microsoft, or any other company - to hold their sensitive and sometimes personal / financial data, even not in any bodies Cloud, not even in that from; Amazon, Google or even not Apple's Cloud systems. No way!

You asked me what will happen with my relationship with Microsoft, if they Retire the TechNet Subscription: That is a longer question with a short answer:
It will - eventually - stop being active.

Will I look for other manufactures, to continue my job?
Yes and no - that depends on what the IT business is doing to respond to this group, it depends on how things will work out for us, is a way to our own benefit, so we can make a living from it.
If Microsoft is not the answer, maybe Red hat Linux, SuSE Linux, Apple Macintosh will be?
Who's is there to say? I can't look into the future.... sadly enough.

When your subscription ends, what will you do?
I won't sit still, and just wait, so I will starve to death - that's for sure!

Have you considered using other software in the future?
Yes, like I said before in the previous questions: Red hat Linux, SuSE Linux, Apple Macintosh.

What¹s at risk for Microsoft in alienating this TechNet group?
Eventually, they will break and be tear down,
Like Novell did,
like Solaris did,
like SCO did,
and so on...
Like Microsoft will happen to do too.

"It's just business - it's nothing personal."

In the Netherlands we have a saying:
"a cat in distress, makes strange jumps", which means
in the English language: "Hard times call for harsh measures."

Microsoft is that Cat,
 but so are we...

So lets jump!

Fight, and if we loose, pick it up, and walk to the horizon, because there will always be one who's the best. And if Microsoft doesn't want to be the winner / champion, someone else will take its place.

B.t.w:
I really need to get certified on that Black Hat system...,
let's pick up some old books from 1995 about System-V, Bsd...
how bad can my rusty knowledge be? ;-)
_________________________________________________

 Met vriendelijke groet,
 With best regards,

 Mark Peter van Sijll, aka M:P
 Almere,  The Netherlands.

 E-Mail:     M.vSijll@net.??
 Mail Alias: MvSijll@inter.???
 Google:     MvSijll@Gail.???
 Skype:      MvSijll
 LinkedIn NL-Profiel: http://nl.linkedin.com/in/sijll
 LinkedIn EN-Profile: http://linkedin.com/in/sijll/en

 Microsoft Certified Professional,
 Microsoft Certified System Engineer,
 Microsoft Certified System Administrator,
 Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist,
 UNIX System-V Certified Administrator I+II,
 FortiNet Certified Network/System Professional.
 Certified Internet Specialist,

Puget Sound Business Journal is having a Interview with: M.P. van Sijll, the questions...

Hi Mark,

Yes, the 10 hour time difference does present a bit of a challenge ;-).

How about I just send some questions via email and you can answer them when you get a chance?
If that works, here's a few questions and we'll go from there:

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself ­ where you work and live, and what exactly you do there?
How long have you had a TechNet subscription and what have you used it for traditionally?
Microsoft has said the main reason for shutting down TechNet is piracy.
What do you think of that argument?
What impact do you think this will have on the relationship between IT professionals and Microsoft?
What¹s at risk for MSFT in alienating this group?
When your subscription ends, what will you do?
Have you considered using other software in the future?
Thanks so much for your time and thoughts. I really appreciate it.

Emily Parkhurst,

Technology Reporter
Puget Sound Business Journal
TechFlash.com
www.bizjournals.com/seattle
206-876-????
e.parkhurst@bizjournals.----
Twitter: @emilyparkhurst