Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?
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@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
u really want an additional check, you can ask the VAR to look over the results, but only let them verify, not advise, and be
See now you're into a quoting situation - Do you reach out to several vendors/vars for quotes, or find and stick with a single one?
In a non-VAR situation, why deal with anyone making you get quotes.
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@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
u really want an additional check, you can ask the VAR to look over the results, but only let them verify, not advise, and be
See now you're into a quoting situation - Do you reach out to several vendors/vars for quotes, or find and stick with a single one?
Quotes are fine when not dealing with VARs.
Do you have a recommended list of non VARs?
The people already listed are VARs - his old VAR, Dell, CDW.CDW, Amazon, NewEgg, etc.
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@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
The people already listed are VARs - his old VAR, Dell, CDW.
CDW is only marginally a VAR and only when engaged in very specific ways. Go to their site and buy CALs, no VAR interaction needed.
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@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
The people already listed are VARs - his old VAR, Dell, CDW.
CDW is only marginally a VAR and only when engaged in very specific ways. Go to their site and buy CALs, no VAR interaction needed.
Sure, if you limit yourself to their website. Dell can be that way too - assuming you can buy via the website what you want.
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@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
The people already listed are VARs - his old VAR, Dell, CDW.
CDW is only marginally a VAR and only when engaged in very specific ways. Go to their site and buy CALs, no VAR interaction needed.
I'm looking at CDW now. Searched "Windows server 2016" and I get all kinds of results, from $1,312 to $31.99, each one having similar details... What the heck..
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@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
The people already listed are VARs - his old VAR, Dell, CDW.
CDW is only marginally a VAR and only when engaged in very specific ways. Go to their site and buy CALs, no VAR interaction needed.
I'm looking at CDW now. Searched "Windows server 2016" and I get all kinds of results, from $1,312 to $31.99, each one having similar details... What the heck..
Probably a "pack". Got links?
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@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
The people already listed are VARs - his old VAR, Dell, CDW.
CDW is only marginally a VAR and only when engaged in very specific ways. Go to their site and buy CALs, no VAR interaction needed.
I'm looking at CDW now. Searched "Windows server 2016" and I get all kinds of results, from $1,312 to $31.99, each one having similar details... What the heck..
Probably a "pack". Got links?
Just what I searched, https://www.cdw.com/shop/search/result.aspx?key=windows server 2016 &ctlgfilter=&searchscope=all&sr=1
I have no idea what I'd pick.. This would be for a virtual install (of course) and I have about 70 users..
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@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@scottalanmiller said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
The people already listed are VARs - his old VAR, Dell, CDW.
CDW is only marginally a VAR and only when engaged in very specific ways. Go to their site and buy CALs, no VAR interaction needed.
I'm looking at CDW now. Searched "Windows server 2016" and I get all kinds of results, from $1,312 to $31.99, each one having similar details... What the heck..
Probably a "pack". Got links?
Just what I searched, https://www.cdw.com/shop/search/result.aspx?key=windows server 2016 &ctlgfilter=&searchscope=all&sr=1
I have no idea what I'd pick.. This would be for a virtual install (of course) and I have about 70 users..
Server 2016 comes in Standard and DC. Users are CALs, so separate. Which Server license do you need?
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I tend to use only one or two VARs. It is too much work to maintian relationships with many.
My preferred for now is CCB. Softmart used to be good, but Connection bought them.
But my clients all buy in small amounts very sporadically.
I have a personal dislike for CDW, so I never chose them.
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@jaredbusch said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
I tend to use only one or two VARs. It is too much work to maintian relationships with many.
My preferred for now is CCB. Softmart used to be good, but Connection bought them.
But my clients all buy in small amounts very sporadically.
I have a personal dislike for CDW, so I never chose them.
Yeah I'm not too impressed with CDW.. I may hit up my old VAR after all. Thanks for your help
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@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@jaredbusch said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
I tend to use only one or two VARs. It is too much work to maintian relationships with many.
My preferred for now is CCB. Softmart used to be good, but Connection bought them.
But my clients all buy in small amounts very sporadically.
I have a personal dislike for CDW, so I never chose them.
Yeah I'm not too impressed with CDW.. I may hit up my old VAR after all. Thanks for your help
They've never been very good.
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@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@jaredbusch said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
I tend to use only one or two VARs. It is too much work to maintian relationships with many.
My preferred for now is CCB. Softmart used to be good, but Connection bought them.
But my clients all buy in small amounts very sporadically.
I have a personal dislike for CDW, so I never chose them.
Yeah I'm not too impressed with CDW.. I may hit up my old VAR after all. Thanks for your help
The thing to remember is - don't ask them what to buy.. you need to know first.
If you are looking to purchase 70 Windows Server CALs, you should really consider an Open Value purchase. The same goes for your server. You'll have to decide if Software Assurance is for you or not (and really, if you're staying with Windows, it really should be - you want to stay current).
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@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@jaredbusch said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
I tend to use only one or two VARs. It is too much work to maintian relationships with many.
My preferred for now is CCB. Softmart used to be good, but Connection bought them.
But my clients all buy in small amounts very sporadically.
I have a personal dislike for CDW, so I never chose them.
Yeah I'm not too impressed with CDW.. I may hit up my old VAR after all. Thanks for your help
The thing to remember is - don't ask them what to buy.. you need to know first.
If you are looking to purchase 70 Windows Server CALs, you should really consider an Open Value purchase. The same goes for your server. You'll have to decide if Software Assurance is for you or not (and really, if you're staying with Windows, it really should be - you want to stay current).
Right. You know what you need, they give you buying options. That's all.
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@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@jaredbusch said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
I tend to use only one or two VARs. It is too much work to maintian relationships with many.
My preferred for now is CCB. Softmart used to be good, but Connection bought them.
But my clients all buy in small amounts very sporadically.
I have a personal dislike for CDW, so I never chose them.
Yeah I'm not too impressed with CDW.. I may hit up my old VAR after all. Thanks for your help
The thing to remember is - don't ask them what to buy.. you need to know first.
If you are looking to purchase 70 Windows Server CALs, you should really consider an Open Value purchase. The same goes for your server. You'll have to decide if Software Assurance is for you or not (and really, if you're staying with Windows, it really should be - you want to stay current).
Everything is Open Value anymore, has been for a long time. You have to go way out of your way to find anything else.
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@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
I'm looking at CDW now. Searched "Windows server 2016" and I get all kinds of results, from $1,312 to $31.99, each one having similar details... What the heck..
This is where a good account rep helps. BTW, on most sites, an account rep can get you better pricing than the web pricing.
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@mike-davis said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
I'm looking at CDW now. Searched "Windows server 2016" and I get all kinds of results, from $1,312 to $31.99, each one having similar details... What the heck..
This is where a good account rep helps. BTW, on most sites, an account rep can get you better pricing than the web pricing.
I'm not sure how I feel about this - I asked my account rep to get me the iLo license i needed for a server - after 3 different purchases I still didn't have the correct license I needed.
The same can happen with any licensing. This is why I suggested finding exactly what you want before approaching any company for pricing. Sadly, this is extremely difficult at times. -
@dashrender said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@mike-davis said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
I'm looking at CDW now. Searched "Windows server 2016" and I get all kinds of results, from $1,312 to $31.99, each one having similar details... What the heck..
This is where a good account rep helps. BTW, on most sites, an account rep can get you better pricing than the web pricing.
I'm not sure how I feel about this - I asked my account rep to get me the iLo license i needed for a server - after 3 different purchases I still didn't have the correct license I needed.
The same can happen with any licensing. This is why I suggested finding exactly what you want before approaching any company for pricing. Sadly, this is extremely difficult at times.Yeah, and that's where I struggle: trying to figure out exactly what I need, in terms of licensing. I mean, I know what we need as far as products go, but I want to make 100% sure we are compliant with our licenses. My VAR used to help me with this as he's been doing it for a long time.
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One thing that's always fun is when I get a quote from my VAR and a quote form CDW and the price is different.. then it's like pitting against each other to fight for the sale..
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@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
One thing that's always fun is when I get a quote from my VAR and a quote form CDW and the price is different.. then it's like pitting against each other to fight for the sale..
Throw them all into the ring and let them fight it out for your business by lowballing each other. Then you'll see how much margin they have on these licenses (which is plenty). Since it is MS licenses, take the lowest price and run.
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@rojoloco said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
@dave247 said in Where/who should I be buying Microsoft Server licensing from?:
One thing that's always fun is when I get a quote from my VAR and a quote form CDW and the price is different.. then it's like pitting against each other to fight for the sale..
Throw them all into the ring and let them fight it out for your business by lowballing each other. Then you'll see how much margin they have on these licenses (which is plenty). Since it is MS licenses, take the lowest price and run.
