Electronic Software Purchases from Microsoft Rendered Useless
Microsoft's online portal for software downloads, eOpen, has been causing IT administrators headaches this month. It all started on December 5, when the site went down for a scheduled upgrade. However, instead of coming back online two days later per the maintenance schedule, it was down for an entire week. Microsoft obviously does not care how this has impacted our industry. We have deadlines and cannot just sit around, waiting for our product keys! But that isn't the most aggravating part, Microsoft forgot to include an Add Agreement section to their new eOpen site.
This means if you have purchased electronic software from Microsoft or a Microsoft Reseller, you will be unable to claim your software. This is not being told to customers before they purchase, nor is there a warning on the eOpen website that new agreements are not accepted at this time. Instead, Microsoft lets you wander around the new eOpen site until you become aggravated enough to call. If you can suffer through long hold times, you will be instructed by a Microsoft rep that it is a known issue and the problem will be resolved eventually.
So please be advised, as of December 22, new software purchases are still unable to be activated. Consider waiting on projects or purchase hard media until this problem has been resolved.
December 23rd, 2009 - 09:20
Heads up, talked with a Microsoft Open License rep this morning. She was able to process my authroization code over the phone and said the licenses should appear on the website within 48 hours. If you cannot wait any longer for the website issues to be corrected, call Microsoft at 1-866-230-0560.