SBSC Toolkit Update for Gold / Certified Partners

Here's some information from our colleagues at Microsoft Corporate in the USA around why SBSCGold and Certified partners did not receive any software in their SBSC Toolkit, shipped in October / November.

The reason: Gold and Certified partners already have access to the software via the MSDN subscriber download site.  Gold and Certified partners are entitled to the incremental licenses per SBSC licensing table.  [Note licenses granted were for SBS Premium equivalent—SBS Standard + Windows Server Standard + SQL Server Standard.] Software can be obtained from MSDN and product keys from the PMC.

Additional Information: If partners call the Regional Services Centre (RSC) inquiring about their software and licenses earned via SBSC, they will be told they are entitled to the licenses noted on the licensing table and that all the software can be download from the MSDN subscriber download site.   These partners may use the existing SBS Standard keys and Windows Server keys on PMC (Partner Membership Centre) and no key is required for SQL Standard.  The current keys on PMC will cover the licensing entitlement from both Microsoft Partner Programme and SBSC.  Partners inquiring whether SBS Premium was granted to the SBSC, will be indicated that the licensing entitlement is for SBS Premium equivalent—SBS Standard + Windows Server Standard + SQL Server Standard.  Additional EBS CALs were included in the toolkit sent to Gold and Certified partners.

Hope this information is of use.