Operators Are Standing By

I got a news flash from Handy Andy tonight, and the news ain't good folks…

Starting on March 13, 2006, Microsoft will be making the following changes to telephone-based Professional Incident support for IT Professionals and also Enterprise Developers.

Before 3/13/06
– All severities
– 24 hours a day
– Monday – Sunday
– $245 per incident

After 3/13/06
– All severities
– 6AM – 6PM Monday – Friday (Pacific Time)
– $245 per incident

– Business critical severity
– 6PM – 6AM Monday – Friday (Pacific Time)
– All day Saturday and Sunday
– $490 per incident

(Yep – that's a 100% price increase for after-hours support)

Hours of operation are not impacted by holidays.

Business-critical after-hours support is available for $490.00 USD and provides support only for business-critical issues. Business-critical issues are defined as situations that involve a system, a network, a server, or a critical program down situation that severely affects customer production or profitability. These are high-impact issues where production, operations, or development are proceeding but could be severely affected within several days.

Microsoft will provide continuous effort to resolve the problem 24 hours a day. Senior managers at Microsoft are notified. The customer must allocate appropriate resources to sustain a continuous effort 24 hours a day. The customer's management must be notified.

International only: After-hours support will only be provided for business-critical incidents on English version products and in the English language. If you require local language product support, please consider contacting a local support provider.

Source: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/afterhours

Presto Chango

The SBS 2003 Transition Pack lets you turn your SBS box into a 'standard' Windows 2003 Server. It removes the 75-user limit, allows the core components to be separated to other servers, and leaves the SBS Wizards installed.

Sound interesting? Then be sure and check out the upcoming 'Inside SBS' team webcast this Wednesday (22 Feb 2006 – 11:00 AM Central US).

The show starts live at 11:00 AM CST.
Phone number for the live call-in portion of the podcast:
(866) 500-6738
Use participant code: 7508158

Source: Inside SBS Blog

Hasta La Vista, WinME

End of support for Windows 98 and Windows Me

On June 30, 2006 Microsoft will end Extended Support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Me as part of the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. Microsoft will retire public and technical support, including security updates, by this date.

Existing support documents and content, however, will continue to be available through the Microsoft Support Product Solution Center Web site. This Web site will continue to host a wealth of previous How-to, Troubleshooting, and Configuration content for anyone who may need self-service.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx

Don't say we didn't warn ya!

Microsoft Small Business +

Microsoft Small Business + is a FREE online business resource that you can use when it best fits your schedule. Members receive:

Free Online Software Training – Get access to a library of software training to help you do more with the software you own, including Microsoft Office Excel 2003, PowerPoint 2003, Outlook 2003, Word 2003, and more.

Free Online Business Training – Take advantage of business skills training from independent experts on topics including marketing, finance, and technology management designed to help you evolve the skills you rely on every day.

Free Online Technical Support – Based on your submitted profile, the Self-Help feature displays the information most relevant to the Microsoft products you own, giving you easy access to knowledge-based articles, security bulletins, service packs, newsgroups, webcasts, and more. Now you can find answers to your technical questions all in one place.

Newsletter – As a member of Small Business +, you will receive a personalized monthly newsletter through which we will recommend relevant member resources. We will also give you updates on new training courses, tips on how to get the most out of your software, and access to special offers.

Links:
– Watch a short demonstration
– Registration Questions
– Sign up today

Also, don't forget about the Microsoft Small Business Summit:
Dates: March 14, 15, 16, 17, 2006
Registration opens: January 26, 2006

During this FREE four-day online event, some of the leading voices in business today will present ways to get more from your IT investments, save time and money in running your business, and better connect with and market to your customers. You're invited to choose from over 25 webcasts that can best help you gain a competitive edge.

If you are one of the first 300 people to register and attend at least one live webcast during the Small Business Summit event, you will receive the highly acclaimed book "Small Business Kit"* FREE — a $50 value! While supplies last. Offer available in the U.S. only.

Attend three or more live webcasts during the Small Business Summit, complete and submit the brief evaluation for each webcast and you will receive Microsoft Office Small Business Management Edition** software FREE — a $499 value! While supplies last. Offer available in the U.S. only.

** http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/small-business-summit/hub.mspx