Microsoft next week is expected to announce changes to Licensing 6.0 designed to steer more customers to buy into Software Assurance in the company's 2004 fiscal year, sources say.
As first reported by CRN in February, the software giant will throw in some technical support at no additional cost with its Software Assurance contracts to reduce the overall cost of ownership of Microsoft software and push more customers to buy upgrade rights. Software Assurance is Microsoft's maintenance program.
Currently, Microsoft charges separately for Software Assurance upgrade protection and various levels of technical support, from per-incident calls that can cost hundreds of dollars all the way up to multimillion-dollar premium contracts signed with major enterprises.
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