Windows Server 2012 released to manufacturing!

Although I consider myself lucky to have access to the RTM bits through our SA license agreement (since Aug 15th). I'm joining the chorus if unhappy IT Pros arguing that the RTM bits should be made available on TechNet and MSDN at the same time as VLSC. I don't see the logic in the difference between Win8 and WinSrv 2012 availability on TechNet/MSDN as they RTMed at the same time and were made available on VLSC for SA customers at the same time...

We appreciate the continued excitement and interest we are seeing from our community and are equally excited for the General Availability release of Windows Server 2012 which is just around the corner on September 4th.   At that time, everyone will be able to evaluate the final released version of the new product and experience all of the newest features.  We hope that you are also looking further ahead to the October 26th release of Windows 8.  

You may have heard the news that we have released the product to manufacturing, and while we understand that all of our community members would like to get the pre-release manufacturer’s versions of Windows Server,  we are only providing this pre-release version to our OEM partners and to our customers that have existing contractual rights under their Volume Licensing Agreements.  Eligible Volume licensing customers can access the latest versions of all products they have purchased through the Volume Licensing Service Center: www.microsoft.com/.../manage-my-agreements.aspx.  If you have questions regarding your eligibility, or would like to discuss a volume licensing agreement for your company, we suggest contacting your Microsoft account representative.  Thank you for the continued support and excitement around Windows Server 2012 and we look forward to your participation in the online launch event on September 4th! Save the date! http://msft.it/wslaunch  

I have a volume license MSDN subscription and I do NOT have access to the bits.

I think that Microsoft made an error by not allowing access to the MSDN/TechNet subscribers before the GA and instead of admitting this mistake they are trying to spin it toward the hype of the launch and upgrading.  I do remember when MSDN used to get products upto a month PRIOR to the launch...guess those days are gone.

maybe we should leave Microsoft and install linux

@ChrisW. Windows Server 2012 RTM is available to our customers that have existing contractual rights under their Volume Licensing Agreements.  Eligible Volume licensing customers can access the latest versions of all products they have purchased through the Volume Licensing Service Center: www.microsoft.com/.../manage-my-agreements.aspx.

So, no issues here. Please read the comment from Server & Cloud Platform Team - Microsoft on how to gain access via this channel.

What the.... I just recognized that I HAVE access to Server 2012 through our VL contract...

@Kevin

Must I be OEM partner now to get the code before my customer?

Is this a shift in MS Policy or is this a Windows Server Team decision?

As an ISV I must be able to test the code before my customer has upgraded his

production system and discovered problem.

The old way off putting it on TechNet/MSDN soon after RTM and giving us as

Partners some weeks to do basic test before the customers are able to get

the software are very important to. This let us send info in time to them to avoid

problem.

/Andrés

After soliciting comments (which were largely met with silence) we're finally told - sorry early adopters and enthusiasts, we're going to annoy you some more and increase the 'I hate MS rhetoric'. The last time I renewed our small office's MDSN subscriptions it was just over $14K- no small potatoes for an independent software shop- especially when the advance releases are no longer included! MSDN same day as GA? You would think that Microsoft (aka Kevin and the Platform team) would value the group making the effort to respond here and would understand the benefit of more of us actually putting Server 20102 to use!  The Server & Cloud Platform Team's was dismissive, of not outright offensive.

I don't understand that either. Why do we have to wait for GA when the Software is already available? In my case I am writing an update for my book on C# and VS 2012 and need Windows Server (because of IIS, MSMQ ...). I am either forced to use RC or to waste precious time. Why can't you simply allow me to download the OS?

Unfortunately I don't have access to a VL subscription agreement.  My organization licenses product as needed and it isn't very predictable which workload on aging servers will be retired on re-hosted onto new hardware and software.  It ends up being more cost effective for us to license new versions as needed.

This means I'll be waiting until 9/4 for the RTM version.  I had hoped to get a three week headstart on planned Hyper-V 3.0 projects.   Having access to the RTM of what sounds like a great new Windows servers on 8/15 sure would have been nice.

@Kevin -

You said "we are listening", and to let you know if this causes any heartburn for anyone.

YES, IT DOES.  Verging on a bleeding ulcer.  I guess many of us had the (possibly mistaken) understanding that as MSDN and/or Technet subscribers, we get bits earlier than John Q. Public would.

This is a huge disappointment, and a case where reasonable expectations have not been met.

Please, do yourselves a favor, "listen to us", and release the bits to MSDN & Technet at your earliest opportunity.  We need to evaluate the bits long before our customers are able to.

@Kevin

@Server & Cloud Platform Team - Microsoft

  I'm a IT consultant and SI company with MSDN Premium (VL) subscriber, I very disappoint and don't know why you decided to left MSDN member behind the anoymous evaluator which can get eval WS2012 RTM on the same date as us for free.

  I subscribe to MSDN because an ability to eval before GA of the new product as the time is precious and this is a wasted investment to be MSDN member.

   I can't believe that MS decided to do this with 10 years+ royalty member like me.  I used to recommand a lot of customers to purchase microsoft products ( i think I helped MS get serveral millions USD from my customers )

Kong C.

the demolition of MSDN / Technet subscriptions continues.

after reducing the number of available product keys and removing older product versions from archive now we don't have early access the RTM stuffs and we've to wait till GA and can't therefore not early testing compatibility of our software with the RTM version  before the bits are available to the end customer.

what will be the next restriction in MSDN / Technet subscription ? one product key per day or 1GB download limit per day?

yet another bad decision in the last few month regarding MSDN / Technet subscriptions.

I can't begin to comprehend what business strategy must have been behind this decision. Upsetting and turning away your strongest advocates when launching a major new product seems counterintuitive at best. What's the point of paying thousands of dollars a year if our access is no different than someone standing in line at Best Buy?

Microsoft,

Why the delay? You keep telling us it will be released on September 4th. You've already given the RTM bits out to OEMs. You tell us that you are listening to us. Yet...

1> You don't give any reason for the delay. You seem to avoid answering this like a magician who's trying to play a card trick.

2> The number 1 reason I specifically sign up for TechNet is to get access to the early bits so I test them BEFORE my customers do...not after. Yes...this is causing me heartburn.

So...now that I've said it's causing me heartburn...and you've said you'll listen to us...does that mean that we will get it posted to TechNet before September 4th? Or are you just going to keep telling us that you "appreciate the continued excitement and interest" and "we look forward to your participation in the online launch"...which doesn't help us nor answer the reasoning behind this decision.