Creative Suite 3.3 Master Collection

Get the tools you need to create content for every design discipline in one offering. Adobe Creative Suite 3.3 Master Collection software combines the best professional creative tools from Adobe with exceptional integration and productivity, so you can meet creative challenges and take your business in new directions.

Special discounts available for Schools and Non-profits. Contact us for a quote!

Kaspersky Promotion

Wasatch Software is currently offering a promotion on Kaspersky Antivirus Software products. Through the month of July for every $500 of Kaspersky Software ordered you will receive an additional $10 off our already discounted prices. Contact us right away to ensure that you can get the promotional offer!

Adobe Master Collection

The wait for the Adobe Master Collection is almost over. All indications are that the Master Collection will begin shipping in July. The Adobe Master Collection will be the most comprehensive Creative Suite released. If you are interested in getting a quote for Master Collection please contact us and we will send a quote to you as soon as full pricing and shipping release information comes to us.

New Software Is Coming

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is coming soon. Exactly how soon it will be available for purchase is not known at this time, but be ready for it. Also expected to ship next year are Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008. It defiantly looks like the upcoming year is going to be a big year for new versions of Microsoft products.

It is strongly recommended that you make sure your Software Assurance is current so when these new products are released you are eligible for the upgrade under the Software Assurance program. If you are looking to purchase new server products it would be a good idea to include Software Assurance with your order to ensure that you have rights to the new versions when they are released.

Custom Software Development

Wasatch Software is pleased to spotlight WasatchWare, a national company pecializing in software programming, facets configuration and other IT services. Stop by their website to find out how they can help you with your next project.

Numbers Do Not Lie

Every day there many people complaining about Windows Vista. On the other hand it would appear that there are many more quiet and happy. The negative side of things has a way of being louder then the positive. If you are angry you want to tell everyone how terrible it was. On the other hand if you are happy you don’t have a lot to tell anyone. You sit back and enjoy the time you are having.

It is unfortunate that anyone has had a bad experience with Windows Vista, but lets look at the numbers showing how many have had a good experience. Including preorders Microsoft hit revenues of $5.3 billion on primarily Windows Sales. That is 67% higher then last year. Even if you remove the preorders it is a jump of 17% over last year. Also Microsoft reports that 85% of Windows sales are for Vista.

So to all of us who like Vista, lets talk a little bit louder. Lets be proud of how well Vista is working for us. Lets drown out the complainers and enjoy the great capabilities of Windows Vista!

Time is running out.

The time on Windows Vista Beta is running out. Microsoft announced that if you are using a Beta version of Windows Vista you have until May 31st to back up all your information and either purchase a full license for Windows Vista or downgrade back to your previous OS.

Starting on June first customer using Beta versions will be able to log on for 2 hour sessions. After 2 hours of use the PC will reboot without opportunity to save date. Microsoft strongly recommends that Beta users have their OS taken care of before May 31st.

Exchange Server 2007

Exchange Server 2007 allows access by via computer, a mobile device and even a basic telephone if there is no internet access available. With the Outlook Web Access employees can access their inbox through a web browser from anywhere with internet access. Outlook Web Access does not even require VPN to use.

Microsoft Exchange Server has also changed to become a 64-bit application. This allows users to break through past memory limitations. This allows mailboxes to grow to meet employees’ demands for more storage.

Microsoft Unlimited Potential

Microsoft is expanding the Unlimited Potential program to give large discounts in developing markets. Microsoft is working to rapidly expand the number of computer users in the world. By offering large discounts Microsoft will be able to penetrate markets that otherwise would likely use pirated version of software because of cost concerns.

The Unlimited Potential program is one of many ways that Microsoft gives back to the community. The program was created to increase technology education worldwide. Computer use is important in being able to get a job and Microsoft wants to make sure that everyone is able to use a computer.

There is also a business aspect involved. If Microsoft is able to penetrate these markets and help in developing a stronger workforce and stronger economy they will be able to distribute software at higher prices. It is a very long term strategy but one that has potential to pay off for everyone involved.

When will Google turn Evil?

So much for don’t be evil. There has to be some amount of evil in the Google Empire. Google continues to acquire more and more pieces of the internet advertising world. Google could at a whim put out hundreds of small businesses who work to have potential customers find them online. I have heard stories of domains being banned from Google, with no way to have the ban lifted. Imagine if you bought a domain and found that you could not be shown in Google search results.

As Google grows and picks fights with Microsoft and other major IT companies it is going to become evil. Microsoft never set out to have a reputation as being evil. I do not personally believe that Microsoft is evil. Microsoft is a company that worked very hard and did very smart things to get to the top. Now they have to defend themselves from attacks.

I see Google picking fights with Microsoft. Microsoft has not done some very “evil” things that they could do. Would it really be hard for Microsoft to block some Google tools in Internet Explorer because of potential security risks? Of course it would not be hard. Microsoft is playing by the rules. Soon Google may see that they can not beat Microsoft by playing by the rules. That is when we will find out just how evil Google really is.

Terminal Service

Terminal Service CALs continue to be one of our most popular products. Windows server Terminals Services allows a user from a remote device to access the server and run applications off the server.

There are two ways that Terminal Services can be licensed. It can be licensed on a per device system. Per device licensing assigns one CAL to each device that uses the Terminal Server. The other option is a per user option. Per user licensing assigns one CAL to each user that uses the Terminal Server. Organizations can save money by determining if they will have more users or devices and purchasing whichever option would require fewer CALs.

Small Business Server does not allow Terminal Services to run in application mode. If you are using a Small Business Server and want Terminal Service capability you will need to purchase a stand alone Windows Server to run Terminal Services.

"Microsoft is Dead". Really?

It is funny to see people pronouncing the death of Microsoft. The only areas where Microsoft does not dominate are areas that they have started to aggressively pursue. Microsoft dominates the desktop. No other OS product competes with it. Microsoft Office owns productivity. Sure there “open source” options thrown around left and right, but in most homes and most businesses Microsoft Office rules.

Google dominates the internet. There is no question in this, but even Google’s domination of the internet is not as strong as Microsoft’s domination of the desktop. In the last few months Microsoft has started to push their way into the web. Getting live search as the default page on new Lenovo systems will be big, but it will take time.

Microsoft has never been aggressive in the web, but Google attempted to compete with Office and it appears that Microsoft is going to fight back on Google’s turf.

Forefront Security

Microsoft has entered the security world with its Forefront product line. Forefront has actually been around for a few years, but only in the last few days has any marketing been done. The security market is a very big part of the technology industry right now. The leading company in security remains Symantec. Trend Micro and ESET continue to build on successes every day. From what I have seen at this time Microsoft Forefront does not have the capacity to overtake the leaders in the security industry. It will be interesting to see how the Forefront product develops and if Microsoft is able to establish a place in security.

Vista Compatible

Everyone has likely heard by now that Microsoft is being sued over the Windows Vista Capable labels. The labels have been referred to many times as misleading because they indicate only capability of running Windows Vista Home Basic and not the Premium Edition. The other part of this is that Microsoft has advertised the Premium Edition and not the Home basic.

Now does this really call for a lawsuit? In my opinion no. This seems equivalent to filing a lawsuit because you paid for something and the next day it was on sale. Or bring a lawsuit against Ford because you got the low end model that does not have all the features of the high end.

Compatibility only refers to the fact that it will run. Are the computers Vista compatible? The answer is yes and that really should be the only question.

Comparing Licensing Options

To save money one thing that some of customers choose is OEM Software. OEM Software can defiantly save you money over Retail. In some cases OEM Software can be even lower then Open License Software. Each option has its benefits. OEM Software’s biggest benefit is price. The largest drawback to OEM Software is that once installed it is married to the hardware. Meaning if the computer fails the Software dies with it.

Retail software’s biggest benefit is that it is the only software option that includes Microsoft technical support. The biggest drawback to retail software is it is the highest priced of the software purchase options.

The last option is Open License Software. The benefits of Open License are a discounted price and volume media, which allows you to install all of your licenses with one CD and one Product Key. The only drawback is that you are required to purchase at least 5 licenses to start an Open License Agreement.

Thank You

I would like to give a thank you to our Web Development Team for the updates to Microsoft Sale. I think the changes to the page look great and I would love to hear some feedback from our customers. Any suggestions for updates or changes to the site are greatly appriciated.

Most of the changes made were done in Microsoft FrontPage or Microsoft Expression Web. Both of these tools do an excellant job for web development. Take some time to look around the new Microsoft Sale. There is some new information and some updates to old information.

Give Vista a break

There are many people disputing the validity of Microsoft’s release that they have sold over 20 million licenses in their first month of general release. One of the big complaints about the number is it includes licenses sold to OEMs. And it should, when an OEM buys software from Microsoft it goes from Microsoft’s hands to the OEM’s hands. Microsoft counts that software as sold, the OEM is responsible for their own tracking of their business sales.

It seems that many people find it very easy to put Vista down for anything that they can find. I started thinking about it and I remember how many people thought Windows 95 looked nice, but was a bad idea. The next “bad idea” was Windows ME. Then looking back there were many people that said they would never go from Windows 2000 to Windows XP. I will admit Windows ME was not a very good OS. But 1 out of 3 tell me that odds are in Vista’s favor.

Vista 20 Million in 1 month, Linux 30 Million in 15 years

Windows Vista has sold over 20 million licenses in its first month since general release on January 30th. Windows XP sold only 17 million in its first 2 months. There has been a large amount of news about the slow upgrading to Windows Vista, but this shows that maybe the bar was just set to high. Microsoft was initially very optimistic about how fast customers would convert to Vista, but lost some optimism after the general release. This news should boost the optimism showing that Vista is in fact doing better then XP did.

I recently saw an advertisement for Linux that bragged an estimated 30 million users. It somewhat put into perspective that in 1 month Windows Vista has nearly as many users as Linux. Windows Vista continues in the line of trusted Windows operating systems and with it Microsoft will continue to dominate the OS market for years to come.

Microsoft continues to Add Value!

Microsoft continues to provide opportunities for partners to add value. This time it is a new feature for system builders. Microsoft already gives a large discount on OEM software for system builders. In Windows Vista, Microsoft has built in some advertising opportunities. System builders can now add links and information to the Welcome Center. This is a great opportunity for a system build to advertise other products or services. Imagine if you could give all your customers instant access to all of the services that you can offer.

This gives the system you a chance to give something extra back to the customer. Access to Welcome Center gives you chance to generate future sales with your customer. Who knows when your customer might need a new printer or more ram. Products you happen to have advertised on the Welcome Center screen. Really it is free advertising and who can’t use free advertising? Enjoy this new service and work to make sure you add as much value for your customers as possible.

Antivirus Update!

ESET released a new version of their popular antivirus software NOD32. NOD32 2.7 provides comprehensive protection by including protection against viruses, hackers adware and spyware in one application. The new version of NOD32 antivirus Includes support for Windows Vista 32 and 64 bit editions. Another new feature is Anti-Stealth technology which allows rootkits to be discovered even if they are hiding from the operating system. More information here.

How to get Office.

Are you waiting to upgrade? It seems that many customers are waiting to make the change to Microsoft Office 2007 and Windows Vista. It seems that everyone wants to make sure that the bugs are out of the software before they begin using it. This is an understandable stance, but some companies are not aware that they can still get the old versions of the software. If you are waiting until you are ready to go to Office 2007 before putting Office on new systems in the office you do have an option. Through Microsoft Open License and Microsoft Open Value you have downgrade rights to use a previous version. Also when you are ready to transition to Office 2007 you are already licensed and only have to install the new software.

If you are under a volume license agreement with software assurance you already have the license for the new version. If you need to add systems you do not need to wait. You can purchase your additional licenses with software assurance and continue to use a prior version with the license. Microsoft downgrade rights make it easy to keep all your network operating on the same software.

Put Yourself Online!

Have you been looking for a website for your business? Microsoft has developed an option that will give you a free professional web site. Through Microsoft Office Live Basics you can great a free website with your own domain. If you do not have experience with web development this is a great option. The free service includes templates for you to put in the information. As you become more comfortable with the web development you can change to a paid option and try a product like Microsoft Expression Web to develop your website further.

Academic Software is Great!

Microsoft has many options for academic software licensing. There is a subscription based agreement called the Campus or School Agreement. There is an open agreement call the Academic Open License Agreement. Also there is a retail option available to students and teachers.

The Campus/School Agreement is a subscription based purchasing plan. At the beginning of the year you pay for your software products for all of the systems in the school. The next year you do it again. This program is great for holding a tight budget because all of the systems are licensed at one time instead of adding licenses though the year.

The Academic Open License Agreement allows for more purchasing flexibility. It requires purchasing at least 5 licenses on your initial order, but once in the agreement additional licenses can be added at any time.

Student and Teacher software is a discounted retail box packages. The software is intended to be for school use by students or teachers. Schools can also purchase Student and Teacher software if they choose not to use a license agreement.

In order to qualify for Academic Licensing a k-12 school must be recognized by the State Department of Education. For a College or University there must be regional accreditation to qualify for the discounts. Students and Teachers are required to provide information to verify their status.

More information on Academic qualification.

Lenovo to go Live

Lenovo has come to an agreement with Microsoft. This will put Windows Live services in Lenovo ThinkPad notebooks and ThinkCentre desktops. This deal should help Microsoft’s presence in the search engine market.

Google currently holds most of the search market followed by Yahoo and Microsoft sitting in 3rd place. Having the Live Search default for Lenovo will likely increase the traffic for Microsoft.

This comes after Google released Google Apps to compete with Microsoft Office software. Microsoft currently controls the majority of the software market and improving their search level could quickly do a large amount of damage to Google.

Need antivirus for Vista?

What antivirus software will work with Windows Vista? Since Windows Vista came out antivirus software companies have been working to ensure that their software will continue to work with the new operating system.

ESET’s NOD32 was one of the first antivirus software companies to offer 64-bit support for both home and business users. Version 2.7 offers full Vista compatibility. If you currently have a valid NOD32 license the upgrade to version 2.7 is available at no charge.

Trend Micro has released a version of PC-cillin antivirus software that will work with Windows Vista. However the Client/Server/SMB software is still waiting for an updated version to work with Windows Vista. The updated version is expected to be released soon.

Windows Server 2003 SP 2

Microsoft released service pack 2 for Windows Server 2003. The service pack includes numerous fixes for Windows Server. Also it includes some new features. There is a new event log to address some issues with Cluster service. Also the Microsoft Message Queuing storage limit has been changed to 1 gig. If you have Small Business Server 2003 the service pack also applies.

Find SP 2 here.

An easy license option for schools

The Microsoft School Agreement provides K-12 schools with an alternative to Open Licensing. The School Agreement is a subscription based license agreement that allows schools to pay for their software one year at a time. This creates easy license compliance because all the school’s computers are covered through the term of the subscription. The School Agreement also eliminates the need to keep track of licenses because every product in the subscription is licensed to the entire school. Finally it simplifies budgeting by making 1 payment cover all of your products for 1 year.

How to license Windows Terminal Services

Licensing Windows Terminal Services can sometimes get confusing. Terminal Service is built into the Windows Server, but does require additional licenses to utilize. First you need the Server license and the appropriate number of client licenses. These client licenses can be set as per user or per device.

A per user license is a license for 1 user to access the server. A per device license is for one system to access the server. Which license would be more effective depends greatly on how people will be accessing your server.

Terminal Services also requires using a client license. The Terminal Services Client Access License allows users to connect to the Terminal Server in Windows Server. This license can also be used per user or per device.

In order to access the server the client will need to have both the Server client license and the Terminal Services client license.

Another thing to keep in mind with Terminal Services licensing is it does not effect application licenses. Applications such as Office have their own license rules.  Most applications require one license per system.  In other words if you are using a Terminal Server with Office 2007 you will need an Office 2007 license for the server and for each system that uses the software. If you have questions please feel free to contact me.

Do they really dare?

There are some rumors going around of late saying that both Dell and HP are considering including Linux operating systems instead of Windows. Many fans of Linux software feel that this is a great thing that is going to allow Linux use to grow.  There is however a potential problem that if not handled properly could result in no manufacturer daring to preinstall Linux software.

When the average person goes to buy a new computer from Dell or HP they are going to expect the standard preloaded software. They are going to expect to have Windows and some trial applications ready when the plug it in and turn it on. Now based on the nature of Linux I expect that the Linux systems may sell at a lower price. That customer that goes shopping for a computer and sees one
that is $50 cheaper makes the quick purchase based on price.

When this customer gets home and turns on the computer they are not greeted by the Windows logo they expect. In fact they are greeted by an operating system that they have never seen and have no idea how to use. What would you imagine their reaction to be? I imagine their reaction to be that they got a broken computer. I expect them to call Dell or HP and spend hours on the phone costing those companies money. I expect them to lose trust for Dell or HP costing them more money. If they start losing money because of Linux they will stop preinstalling it, and no one else will dare preinstall it.

I think if it was me and I did not get what I expected, I would return it. And to make sure I never made the mistake again I would not spend my money with that company. There are plenty of other computer companies out there that I can give my dollar to. So to Dell and HP, and to their customers, be careful with Linux.

Customer Service Thoughts

It is not how you handle to good stuff that makes you great, it in how you handle the bad. Sometimes things do not go as they are planned and expected. Sometimes things just downright go wrong. The mark of a good company is how those wrongs are handled. There are many ways to react when a problem arises.  You can easily pass the blame along to someone else. You can argue and fight and push your point. Or you can go to work on a fix.

In dealing with hardware and software sometimes there are problems. Sometimes hardware doesn’t work with the system you have. Sometimes the software that you purchased does not do what you planned for it to do. We want to help if that situation arises. You are encouraged to call us and we will work to fine a replacement or a return. If we do not have a solution that fits your needs we will give you contact information for the manufacturer of the product.

We always hope that the hardware or software products you get from us work excatly as you expect them to. If they do not, we will work with you to find a solution that does fit your needs and expectations.

Are you still waiting?

Are you waiting to upgrade? It seems that many customers are waiting to make the change to Office 2007 and Windows Vista. It seems that everyone wants to make sure that the bugs are out of the software before they begin using it. This is an understandable stance, but some companies are not aware that they can still get the old versions of the software. If you are waiting until you are ready to go to Office 2007 before putting Office on new systems in your business you do have an option. Through Microsoft Open License and Microsoft Open Value you have downgrade rights to use a previous version. Also when you are ready to transition to Office 2007 you are already licensed and only have to install the new software.

If you are under a volume license agreement with software assurance you already have the license for the new version. If you need to add systems you do not need to wait. You can purchase your additional licenses with software assurance and continue to use a prior version with the license. Microsoft downgrade rights make it easy to keep all your network operating on the same software.

Adobe Creative Suite 3 Rumors

I have seen quite a few statements of when Creative Suite 3 is going to be released. There are many rumors flying around, but as of yet the only think I have seen directly from Adobe is that it is planned to be released this year. I am quite excited to see what the new software has to offer.

For those of you that want to get the Creative Suite but are waiting for the new version to come out, there is an option so you do not have to wait.  Adobe offers maintenance that will cover any upgrades for two years. This allows you to get Creative Suite now and upgrade when the new version comes out.

I hope that Adobe will officially announce when the release is going to happen soon, but in the meantime maintenance is defiantly an option.

Do you need a CRM Solution?

CRM refers to the tools you can use to manage your relationship with customers. CRM software allows you to track customer information. For instance if I call and talk to Sally she can track the information and when I call back and talk to Jane she already knows what is going on. Even if you are a dedicated sales representative CRM can benefit you. You can keep track of every contact with a customer. If a customer mentions their birthday you can make note of it and be sure to send them a card next year, or keep information on their last order to follow up on.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows you to work with other Microsoft applications to bring together data. Being able to utilize all the data from different applications allows employees to be more efficient and more informed. CRM allows for sales, marketing, and management to all be on the same page and ensure that your company is working together to bring the most value to your customer.

If you are not sure you need CRM Software, Microsoft has some evaluation tools available here.

WasatchWare

WasatchWare is our custom software development partner. WasatchWare specializes in custom software programming. WasatchWare will meet with you before offering a proposal, and will continue to meet with you through the process to ensure that the software completely fits your needs. WasatchWare has many other IT services available. Contact WasatchWare with your project today.

Best VALUE in Licensing!

Microsoft Open Value allows customers to spread their payments over 3 years. Like Microsoft Open License the initial purchase requires at least 5 licenses. For an organization just starting out, or needing a large amount of software being able to spread the payments over 5 years can help offset the financial burden of purchasing additional software.

All Licenses purchased in the Open Value program include Software Assurance. Software Assurance will not only give you upgrades as they are released. Technical Support and Training Vouchers are also included with Software Assurance.

Open Value also offers tools that allow you to easily review your licenses and ensure that all of your systems are licensed properly.

Software Discounts! Do you qualify?

Some customers do not realize that they are eligible for discounts when they purchase software in volume. For instance with the Microsoft Open License Program gives you a discount if you buy 5 or more licenses. Adobe has offered the TLP program which does not require a minimum purchase, but gives discounts based on a point system. There are further discounts for academic, charity and government customers.

Other benefits of using a volume licensing program include the ability to install with only one media kit. If you buy a retail box product you will have to have a different CD for each computer. Under volume licensing you are able to install all of your licenses with one CD making the installation process go faster.

I will be happy to answer any volume licensing questions you have.

Stay Current! Get Software Assurance.

Software Assurance is only available through the Microsoft Open License Program. The primary reason to invest in Software Assurance is upgrade protection. Through the Open License Program Software Assurance is the only option for upgrades to most products. With the release of Microsoft Office 2007 and Exchange Server 2007 many customers are finding themselves without upgrade options. Other customers who made the investment in Software Assurance are already capitalizing on the new software capabilities.

There are some other benefits to Software Assurance that can prove very useful. Software Assurance provides Training Vouchers to ensure that your IT staff has the tools to deploy, maintain and support the new technologies. Also included are 24x7 Problem Resolution Support Benefits which allow you to get help and support from Microsoft 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more information go to Microsoft Software Assurance Page.

Get Virus and Spyware Protection!

Trend Micro PC-Cillin Internet Security provides protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, and hackers. It also detects and removes spyware. Trend Micro PC-Cillin also has tools built in to protect your email from spam.

PC-Cillin guards against identity theft by blocking phishing and pharming attacks. It can also protect your wireless network.

Trend Micro has a variety of virus and spyware protection products available

PDF Standard

Adobe has announced plans for PDF files to become a recognized standard. For many organizations PDF file are already the standard. Becoming the formal document standard is likely to increase the number of PDF files used. Wasatch Software has Adobe Licensing available with volume discounts. Request a quote to ensure that you have all of the Adobe Software you need.

For more information on Adobe'