Microsoft Pushes Office Rebates, Free Trials

Microsoft will offer rebates to corporate customers, is providing free trial editions of some Office applications, and has beefed up the business-oriented content of its Office Online Web site.

Microsoft has created a rebate program for buyers of Office 2003 who also sign up for a three-year Software Assurance plan. Although the company hasn't made a formal announcement, a Web site lays out the details.

Companies which buy the Office Professional, Standard, or Small Business editions and that also sign up for Software Assurance -- a Microsoft program that provides upgrades in exchange for a yearly fee -- are eligible for rebates as high as $38,000. The amount of the rebate varies depending on the Office bundle bought and the number of copies purchased.

The rebate offer is good through the end of April 2004, and is available only through Microsoft's Open Value, Select, and Enterprise Agreement licensing programs.

"Microsoft is trying to encourage sales of Office for people who are not eligible for an upgrade because they didn't buy Software Assurance," said Paul DeGroot, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft.

Some analysts see the rebate as a win for most organizations. "Enterprises of every size should consider [the rebates] when making buying decisions," said Gartner's Jonathan Mein in a statement. "Those that want to move to Office 2003 and want rights to upgrade to a new version of Office that ships within three years should take advantage of this offer."

DeGroot wasn't so quick to make a blanket recommendation. "In no way is this the cheapest way to upgrade," he said. Most customers would be better off going with a standard volume licensing agreement if all they're after is Office, DeGroot said. "It comes down to whether you want Software Assurance or not."

One possible problem in determining the value of the rebates is that customers who take Microsoft up on its offer are essentially betting that there will be a compelling upgrade to Office within the next three years. "That's not a slam dunk," said DeGroot, noting that the Longhorn edition of Office, the successor to Office 2003, may be more than three years down the road.

Microsoft does not refund Software Assurance fees if a customer doesn't choose to upgrade, or if an upgrade is not available within the term of the plan.

In another effort to put Office applications in the hands of customers, Microsoft has posted a free downloadable copy of OneNote, the stand-alone note-taking application that's not included in any of the six editions of the new Office 2003 suite.

OneNote 2003, priced at $99, targets both Tablet PC owners -- its handwriting recognition allows tablet users to scrawl longhand and then turns their scratchings into usable text -- and traditional desktop and laptop customers with its note organizational tools.

The free download runs about 80MB, and after installation -- registration's required for Microsoft to send a required product key to the customer's e-mail address -- the evalualtion edition can be used for 60 days free of charge. At the end of that time, users can still view or print notes they've previously entered, but cannot add more or edit those already typed in. Microsoft is not offering technical support for the free version.

OneNote's evaluation, which comes in nine languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, German, and French, can be downloaded from the Microsoft Web site.

A similar deal is available for Office 2003 itself. While the 30-day evaluation version of Office Professional Edition 2003, the most expensive and expansive bundle sold at retail, cannot be downloaded, it can be obtained on several CDs from Microsoft.

Professional Edition 2003 includes Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, and Outlook 2003 with Business Contact Manager, a specially-crafted version of the e-mail client that includes rudimentary customer relationship management (CRM) features.

A $7.95 shipping charge applies for the first eval kit, and $4.95 for the second (two maximum may be ordered at the same time). It will begin shipping later this month, said Microsoft.

Also this week, Microsoft beefed up the business content of its recently-revamped Office Online, a Web site that boasts downloadable Office templates, clip art, and tutorials.

The new sub-section of Office Online, dubbed 'Tools for Your Job,' focuses on specific business chores, such as compiling financial data, analyzing sales trends, and conducting employee performance reviews. The sub-site's offerings are in line with Office Online's, and include templates, tips, and some 50 online tutorials that walk users through business processes.

This story courtesy of TechWeb