Empower ISV - Check the Small Print
You may have read about the Empower
ISV program for small development shops on various web sites, including www.joelonsoftware.com
and Microsoft's own partner site. You get Universal MSDN, XP and Office with
licences for 5 developers, all for $750 (also available in the UK, astonishingly
enough). It looks like a spectacularly good deal at first, but you really do
need to check the small print. Microsoft will tell you about the
requirement to "make best effort" to achieve certification for your
application(s) within one one year, but don't tell you about this until you're
already part way through enrollment, and don't tell you about the costs involved
in certification testing, at all.
Let's be clear about this : if you already have one of the specified
certifications, then this article need not concern you... nothing to see here,
move on, as the saying goes. So, what are the required certification options ?
I'm glad you asked :
| Microsoft Platform |
Software Tests |
| Microsoft® Windows®
Server 2003 |
Verified for Microsoft®
Windows® Server 2003
Certified for Windows® Server 2003 |
| Microsoft® Windows® XP |
Verified for Windows® XP
Designed for Windows® XP Gold Testing |
| Microsoft® Windows®
2000 |
Verified Compatible for
Microsoft® Windows® 2000
Certified for Microsoft® Windows® 2000 |
| Microsoft® SQL Server™
2000 |
Verified for Microsoft®
SQL Server™ 2000
Certified for Windows® SQL Server™ 2000
SQL Data Warehouse Alliance Test |
| Microsoft® mobility
platform (Microsoft® Windows® for Pocket PC, Microsoft® Windows® for
Smartphone) |
Designed for Windows®
for PocketPC
Designed for Windows® for Smartphone |
| Microsoft® .NET Web
services |
.NET connected logo
premium test |
| Microsoft® CRM |
Verified for Microsoft®
CRM |
Be warned. They can be very expensive to achieve. Even the lowest
level of certification testing applicable to us ("Verified for XP") for a single application in a single
language would more than double the sticker price for the Empower ISV package.
The prices for certification testing are shown on this page. Go off there and have a look. I'll wait here for you. When you return I'll
have a stiff drink waiting, because you're going to need it....
members.microsoft.com/partner/isv/buildbiz/certification.aspx
(opens in a new window)
Bear in mind that
there's usually a 20% surcharge for each additional language you want
certification in as well. Feel free to swear, I did.
So if your system is anything like ours (multiple platforms for server and
client - 2000/XP/2003, possibly Datacenter server as well, multiple applications, in multiple languages), the costs of
certification DWARF the savings you'd make in software licences. We'd buy their
$750 dollar package and probably end up paying well in excess of $20,000 dollars
for it.
Good deal ? NOT FOR ME, PAL.
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