Microsoft has recently claimed that businesses will adopt Windows Vista like nothing else before it. Well, Houston, there may be a problem.
Anyone who sets out a clear mass deployment plan for XP desktops will be familiar with the difficulties of deploying and troubleshooting PC’s. The growing trend in the market is to treat the PC as a dumb appliance that you rebuild when it breaks with a major problem that you can’t fix in a few minutes. Applications are psuhed to the PC as required by Group Policy, Terminal Services, SMS or even Softgrid for Desktops. This rebuilding process can’t be easily done with OEM licensing because you only get 2 builds activations for an OEM key without having to speak to someone in Lord knows what country to clear your license key. Because of this, large business who want to save administration costs have ponied up for Volume Licenses, often in the form of a desktop core CAL. This OEM upgrade provides a Volume License Key that does not require activation. Microsoft had to resort to using the honour code with their VLK customers.
But change is on the way. Microsoft is planning to change the way VLK customers have been able to deploy and rebuild without having to bother with activations. The process of just rebuilding as required will be taking a serious administrative effort hit.
Microsoft plans to include Volume Activation in WIndows Vista volume license editions (Windows Vista Enteprise, Windows Vista Business and Longhorn Server). The short story is that you will have to activate your installation within 30 days or it shuts down like an OEM installation of XP.
ZDNet has some more details.
Some detailed information is here.
If you don’t like this then I would suggest you pass your feedback to your Microsoft partner solution providers and presales representatives.