Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Microsoft touts

Microsoft released inside the U.S. this week its over the internet software retailer and it is touting it as 1 way for netbook Pc customers who don;t have optical drives to more quickly obtain software.
The Microsoft Retailer, which opened for organization here on November thirteen, allows end users to buy and download Microsoft hardware and software — games, keyboards, games and gaming consoles, Windows (client and server versions), Office and development tools. It doesn;t stock small business applications like SQL Server, System Center, SharePoint Server, etc., which tend to be products purchased by way of resellers and/or volume-license agreements.
Microsoft Senior Plan Manager Trevin Chow highlighted the appeal of electronic software program distribution (ESD) — especially for the growing number of netbook people — in a November 13 entry on his personal blog:
“(I)n a world where lighter weight laptops, such as netbooks, are becoming more common, ESD can make things easier when an optical drive isn’t quickly accessible. The first thing I do when I setup a new machine at home, is to run Windows update,Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise, and download all the freeware I use such as 7-zip. By extending ESD to Microsoft software, we’re able to increase convenience across the board for a variety of customers, regardless of whether they are using a speedy desktop gaming Computer,Microsoft Office 2007 Professional, or the latest netbook.”
The Microsoft Retailer didn;t materialize out of thin air. Microsoft has been operating electronic-distribution sites inside the UK, Germany and Korea for some time now.
Microsoft also has been testing the electronic-software-distribution concept for several years through its Windows Marketplace effort. Windows Marketplace is an internet store that relies on Microsoft;s “digital locker” technology to “purchase & download hundreds of software program titles from multiple resellers.” The digital locker stored customers; product keys and buy information so they could backup and reinstall software program from a single location.
I;m not sure whether the Microsoft Store will replace Windows Marketplace. (Currently, the Marketplace site is still live.) I;m also not clear whether the Microsoft Retailer uses the same digital locker technology as Marketplace. I;ve asked Microsoft for far more information on these two questions and will update this post once I have answers.
Update: The short answers: Yes, Marketplace is being replaced by the Microsoft Store. And digital locker is going away, too. See the end of this post for full details.
The new Microsoft Shop also makes it possible for users to re-download and reinstall software they;ve purchased until mainstream support for the product ends. “Typically this is 5 years after the product is released,” said Chow in his blog entry.
Would you be willing to buy Microsoft products via an on-line store? Any Windows Marketplace end users or Microsoft Store consumers overseas have any previous experience with Microsoft ESD to report?
Here are Microsoft;s answers to my questions,Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, which I received at the end of the day Friday through a enterprise spokesperson:
Does Microsoft plan to do away with Windows Marketplace now that it has launched its own on line software store in the U.S.?
With the launch of the Microsoft Store, Windows Marketplace will shut down as an ecommerce site. Marketplace will transition from an ecommerce and referral site to a static internet page that will refer customers to sites such as Microsoft Retailer, Windows Vista Compatibility Center,Microsoft Office Professional 2007, and other appropriate destinations.
Does the online shop use the same Digital Locker technology that Windows Marketplace pioneered?
We will keep the Digital Locker service running for at least 9 far more months. In that time, we will send out email and net communications to help customers transition away from the Digital Locker.
Is it fair to call the new On-line retailer the successor to Windows Marketplace,Microsoft Office 2010 Professional, or the next gen of the marketplace?
Yes