The most cost effective methods for ensuring that all of a small businesses computer software is legal, and therefore stopping them from getting in trouble with the police.

Okay, so lets face it, we’ve all been tempted at one time or another to get an illegal version of Microsoft Office or Microsoft Windows, in fact within the IT community it appears to happen a lot more than people would have you believe.

There is a very simple reason for this, and if you are a small business, there is a way for you to ensure that your computers are all running legal versions of software, especially when that software is so crucial to your business.

If you are a company that works within the IT sector or uses substaintial levels of IT equipment, then it is most definately worth becoming a Microsoft Registered Partner. This is something that Microsoft offers free of charge to all eligable businesses, and gives you access to the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription.

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This subscription gives you access to the latest versions of software, and costs a fraction of what it would be to purchase them all seperately.

There are some restrictions on this. You have to be a business that has a strong interest in IT and delivering solutions electronically. Also the licenses you are given are only to be used on company owned computers. This means that if you have 7 computers and 4 laptops, then you could pay the £200 subscription fee every year, and you’d get access to the latest version of most Microsoft Software, including many of the server systems which on their own sell for well in excess of £1,000.

If you are not VAT registered then you will need to pay VAT on top of this, but at the current rate of just 15%, what have you got to lose.

The subscription is payable yearly from the date of activation. You are expected to pass two exams, but anyone with a reasonable amount of IT knowledge can pass said exams with the minimum of fuss. If you have an MCP working within your organisation, then even better, as you shouldn’t need to take any of the exams.

The subscription takes a few days to setup, but once you’re there you’ve got access to a lot of software that will help you run your business, including full release versions of software yet to be released.

So what do you think? It may help you save thousands on software every year!