Rumor: Microsoft's paying the bills for some companies to migrate off of Windows Server 2003 to Wind

[wickedplayer494]

[url]http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/28/microsoft_paying_windows_server_2003_migrations/[/url]

[quote=The Register]Microsoft is paying customers to dump Windows Server 2003, The Register has learned.

The software giant is so desperate for the thousands who missed its July 14 extended support cut-off date to get off the legacy server operating system, it’s decided to start eating the costs.

Microsoft is giving away Windows Server 2012 licenses for a year, funding analysis of customers’ work to assess Windows Server 2003 migrations – and it’s paying bills charged by third parties to execute migrations, an integrator source has told The Reg.

In some instances, the reduced Windows Server 2012 licenses are being seen as a reduction in cost of a Windows Server Custom Support Agreement (CSA). Customers who sign a Microsoft CSA continue to receive security fixes and patches – but for a price.

Gartner vice president Carl Claunch told The Reg that CSAs start at $300,000 for the first year, regardless of how few Windows Server 2003 machines you have. The price goes up by 50 per cent in the second year.[/quote]

[AtomicSans]

This is good for everyone involved.

[Cock Boner]

Christ, I wasn't even aware that there was a such thing as a custom support agreement. That's bonkers. Good for Microsoft, though.

[Silentfood]

you could give MIPS a million smackeroonies and he'd still be paying his 2003 license till server 2060
let's hope this encourages more businesses to sort their shit and upgrade

[pentium]

[QUOTE=Silentfood;48314103]you could give MIPS a million smackeroonies and he'd still be paying his 2003 license till server 2060
let's hope this encourages more businesses to sort their shit and upgrade[/QUOTE]

If Microsoft pays me the $5000 or so for the rather major hardware upgrade, I'm in with both fists.

[Levelog]

[QUOTE=pentium;48316428]If Microsoft pays me the $5000 or so for the rather major hardware upgrade, I'm in with both fists.[/QUOTE]

I'll send you up my LGA 1556 Dual core Pentium server and a Linux ISO. :v: