Free Money For Small Business Specialists
OK, so this isn’t real money, but free CALs. Which is better than Monopoly money. And waaaaaaay better than a now worthless gift card from a failed retailer.
To coincide with the October release of the Action Pack, Microsoft also pushed a new version of the SBSC Add-On Pack. That’s a special edition of extra Action Pack goodness only for folks who are Small Business Specialists. Most of these typically include extra discs of sales resources or demo showcases, stickers, and other stuff that I sometimes (in the case of stickers) immediately give to Apple of My Eye or Cute as a Button.
The October 2008 release is particularly significant because it adds an astonishing 15 extra CALs for both Small Business Server 2008 and Essential Business Server 2008, exclusive for SBSCs. Since Action Pack itself includes 10 CALs each for SBS and EBS, SBSCs get a free 150% power boost that pumps them up to a total of 25 CALs each for SBS and EBS Standard. Here’s what the SBS CAL license looks like…
Notice how the pre-printed licensing form says “Essential Business Server 2008,” but the affixed label proclaims “Small Business Server 2008?” A weird printing mixup, which inadvertently used the wrong pre-printed form. Make no mistake though, that one is the extra SBS CALs for SBSCs.
Here’s what the EBS CAL license looks like…
You’ll notice that the Essential Business Server CAL license includes product keys.
Let’s do a little math here on how much this is worth. MSRP for SBS and EBS Standard CAL 5 packs are $385 and $405, respectively. So for SBS, we’re talking about an extra $1,155 buckaroos. And for EBS, those CALs are worth a cool-as-ice $1,215.
Which comes to a grand-spanking badass total of $2,370. Which, truthfully, should cost you nothing or very close to nothing extra.
Sure, becoming an SBSC requires a little bit of hoop jumping, including the passage of a exam. And yes, this is over and above the normal requirements to become a Registered Member of the Microsoft Partner Program and the Action Pack. But since MS recently offered a free voucher giveaway, good for a free take of either the SBS or EBS exam, if you were savvy enough to take advantage of that voucher there’d be no cost to you other than study and test taking time.
Even in a less-than-apocalyptic economy, that’s a deal worth your time and attention.
|| posted by chris under business, community, freebie, mid-market it || comments (0) || ||
