Microsoft Announces Windows 10 Edition With Monthy Fee (Enterprise E3)

[LAwLz]

 

One of my worries back when Windows 10 was called "Windows as a service" was a monthly fee. Today, this becomes a partial reality. Microsoft has just announced a new edition of Windows 10 called "Windows 10 Enterprise E3". It is aimed at enterprise customers and is optional (at least for now).

 

It will cost 7 dollars a month, per user. That means that it would take a business 28 months before the subscription model becomes more expensive than buying the ~200 dollar license outright. That might be an appealing offer to some businesses.

 

Do you think Microsoft will move towards this for the consumer versions as well? With the rumors of Windows 10 being the "last" OS, it would make sense to have users pay as they go, instead of a one time fee which will last them forever*.

This is not related to the ongoing free upgrade to Windows 10. This is a separate Windows 10 edition.

 

Source: PC World and Windows Blog

[The Benjamins]

For business subscriptions is so nice to manage. If I had to handle 100+ computers this would make adding and subtracting PC's so easy.

[vanished]

On the consumer side, maybe instead of a subscription, they will continue to sell "unlimited" licenses, but only "OEM" ones so every time you buy a new PC you buy windows again.

[Unhelpful]

I like it as an option. I'm afraid it won't stay an option.

[Electronics Wizardy]

The basicly already do this, but with 3 year contracts instead of per month.

[GoodBytes]

Actually, this is targeted at small/medium business who wants Enterprise functionality, but don't want to fall with the high number of Volume licenses, and end up with a great number of licenses of Windows unused. Also, it target these small/medium businesses who don't have an IT.

 

Basically, it is for companies that offer IT services to other companies. They can offer Windows Enterprise solution to their customer to meet their needs.

 

Quote

CSP [Cloud Solution Provider] partners will be able to provide a subscription to Windows 10 Enterprise Edition as part of a managed service offering, which is ideal for businesses who do not have dedicated IT resources or limited IT staff and want their licensing and IT needs managed by a trusted and experienced partner. Partners can now offer their business customers the "full IT stack" from Microsoft, including Windows 10, Office 365, Dynamics Azure and CRM as a per user, per month offering through a single channel, which businesses can scale up or down as their needs change.

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/07/12/announcing-new-subscription-options-for-windows-10-and-surface-for-businesses/

 

[deWaardt]

Sounds reasonable for business, but the consumer version... no.

 

I already paid for a licence that should grant me access to the operating system.

I refuse to pay monthly after paying the full price for Windows before.

[The Benjamins]

1 minute ago, deWaardt said:

If they make it monthly for consumers well, I refuse to pay.

I already paid a licence. Why would I have to pay in order to keep that licence?

 

If that happens I'll go back to Windows 7.

that would be illegal to make a customer to pay month after they got a lifetime license. I don't see how or why they would bring it to consumers, it would be a nightmare. It could only be a option for people that build multiple computers, anything store bought should always be lifetime.

[deWaardt]

1 minute ago, The Benjamins said:

that would be illegal to make a customer to pay month after they got a lifetime license. I don't see how or why they would bring it to consumers, it would be a nightmare. It could only be a option for people that build multiple computers, anything store bought should always be lifetime.

Yea I was thinking about that as well.

 

But I could understand Microsoft's move, how will they keep making money if everybody already got Windows 10 and barely anybody will buy a new licence?

 

I edited my post btw to make little more clear.

[The Benjamins]

2 minutes ago, deWaardt said:

Yea I was thinking about that as well.

 

But I could understand Microsoft's move, how will they keep making money if everybody already got Windows 10 and barely anybody will buy a new licence?

 

I edited my post btw to make little more clear.

Microsoft is moving to making money off the ecosystem not the software, like google, iOS...

 

[GoodBytes]

 

44 minutes ago, deWaardt said:

Sounds reasonable for business, but the consumer version... no.

 

I already paid for a licence that should grant me access to the operating system.

I refuse to pay monthly after paying the full price for Windows before.

If anything, it will be like Office 365. You can buy Office in full, or you can get the subscription.

If anything, Windows will be free for all consumers, which you'll eventually be mad, but I think they'll do it once the App Store brings the billions like it does for Google and Apple, and it's services are working, and release it as Windows 11, to not annoy Windows 10 users who bought it...

[GoodBytes]

11 minutes ago, AlexTheRose said:

Microsoft being as predictable as ever. In a while you’ll see them start to roll this out to consumers, some way or another.

Microsoft said that there will no subscription to any consumer who bought Windows 10 or upgraded for free to Windows 10. It is free for ever.

[The Benjamins]

1 minute ago, AlexTheRose said:

Doesn’t mean they can’t switch to a subscription-based model later on.

only for new users, which if they did it for store bought machines then they would be going in the opposite direction of were they want to go. they are trying to build a ecosystem and you cant do that behind a pay wall.

 

it is illegal to charge users for something they already paid for.

[GoodBytes]

Agreed. And again, Microsoft direction is to make Windows like Android, iOS, and MacOS. Free.

It is paid through other means, such as its ecosystem.

 

The OS is being used as a vehicle to push services to you and stick to an ecosystem, and use its services.

[GoodBytes]

4 minutes ago, AlexTheRose said:

This is precisely why it’d be such a big problem. What if you lose your key to Windows, from a reformat or a broken PC? What if Microsoft releases a new upgrade package for Windows 10 that you have to pay a reduced subscription for, or can only get with a subscription-based licence? Not to mention everyone who hadn’t bought Windows 10 before such a thing are completely screwed out of the possibility of a permanent licence, like it or not.

 

There are all sorts of possibilities for fuckery on Microsoft’s part. I don’t know if you think I’m ignorant or what, but I’m seriously not that dumb to only imagine Microsoft “charging people for what they already bought.”

And what if Microsoft make a weapon that will turn the whole world into zombies, and Steve Ballmer comes out to be his master plan to rule the universe. What are you going to do now?

[The Benjamins]

6 minutes ago, AlexTheRose said:

This is precisely why it’d be such a big problem. What if you lose your key to Windows, from a reformat or a broken PC? What if Microsoft releases a new upgrade package for Windows 10 that you have to pay a reduced subscription for, or can only get with a subscription-based licence?

 

There are all sorts of possibilities for fuckery on Microsoft’s part. I don’t know if you think I’m ignorant or what, but I’m seriously not that dumb to only imagine Microsoft “charging people for what they already bought.”

Windows 10 keys are tied to your account, so you just disable the old hardware and enable the new. and once again subscriptions for windows for normal consumers go against their new business model.

 

and if you need to pay for a upgraded version then that is a separate issue. If you already have windows 10 you are set.

 

and google has 3 OS's Android, Chrome OS, Google TV now being merged into just plan Android 

[The Benjamins]

3 minutes ago, AlexTheRose said:

And if you don’t, well… sorry for you I guess.

then its free? so whats the issue?

[Misanthrope]

Pretty sure volume licensing ends up being cheaper than that. Unless that's going away, don't really see widespread benefits.

[handymanshandle]

6 minutes ago, The Benjamins said:

Windows 10 keys are tied to your account, so you just disable the old hardware and enable the new. and once again subscriptions for windows for normal consumers go against their new business model.

 

and if you need to pay for a upgraded version then that is a separate issue. If you already have windows 10 you are set.

Well what if I don't want to use an MSA to manage keys, what if I just want to have them written down and when say I build a new PC want to use that key, I shouldn't have to buy a new key or get into a subscription. If MS does do a subscription service for customers and removes the full key option, then I think that you'll see more people going for Linux. Of course for OEMs (store bought PCs) they'll probably keep that a lifetime thing just to keep the even more average consumer on the MS teat.

Eitherway I think in maybe 5 to 10 years time we'll see more people using Linux.

[The Benjamins]

3 minutes ago, wcreek said:

Well what if I don't want to use an MSA to manage keys, what if I just want to have them written down and when say I build a new PC want to use that key, I shouldn't have to buy a new key or get into a subscription. If MS does do a subscription service for customers and removes the full key option, then I think that you'll see more people going for Linux. Of course for OEMs (store bought PCs) they'll probably keep that a lifetime thing just to keep the even more average consumer on the MS teat.

Eitherway I think in maybe 5 to 10 years time we'll see more people using Linux.

Call the activation hotline and use that to deactivate and reactivate keys

[handymanshandle]

1 minute ago, The Benjamins said:

Call the activation hotline and use that to deactivate and reactivate keys

yeah I know that if it doesn't automatically deactivate when you reuse a key again. 

[GoodBytes]

25 minutes ago, AlexTheRose said:

Are you trying to be funny? I’m afraid you’ll have to work on that humour, mate.

Thank you, thank you! I'll be here all night!

[Misanthrope]

42 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

And what if Microsoft make a weapon that will turn the whole world into zombies, and Steve Ballmer comes out to be his master plan to rule the universe. What are you going to do now?

Pray to Richard Stallman? Only he can save humanity but don't you dare use closed source drivers anymore!

[suicidalfranco]

24 minutes ago, Misanthrope said:

Pray to Richard Stallman? Only he can save humanity but don't you dare use closed source drivers anymore!

PREACH IT!

[Nowak]

1 hour ago, AlexTheRose said:

This is precisely why it’d be such a big problem. What if you lose your key to Windows, from a reformat or a broken PC? What if Microsoft releases a new upgrade package for Windows 10 that you have to pay a reduced subscription for, or can only get with a subscription-based licence? Not to mention everyone who hadn’t bought Windows 10 before such a thing are completely screwed out of the possibility of a permanent licence, like it or not.

 

There are all sorts of possibilities for fuckery on Microsoft’s part. I don’t know if you think I’m ignorant or what, but I’m seriously not that dumb to only imagine Microsoft “charging people for what they already bought.”

If you've already registered Windows 10 on that specific hardware, then you do not need to re-enter the product key to reinstall.

 

Source: I did that when I installed an SSD in my T420 and installed a fresh copy of Windows 10 on the SSD instead of trying to copy over the existing installation on the old mechanical drive, WIndows activated without me entering my product key.