I generally like things being made available online. Sure, I have issues with putting data online, because when my connection goes out – and it will go out – I like to be able to get to it. But providing the option to get at things online is a nice feature. Making it so that they have to be retrieved online just blows. It really blows.
One of the hats that I wear in my life as a computer consultant has to do with networks – and when I’m wearing that hat, it means that I have to deal with Microsoft products. This really doesn’t mean that I am a Microsoft hater, because a lot of what they do is decent. But some days they do nothing other than make my life miserable. Take eOpen, for example.
Introduced a couple of years ago to allow you to store your licenses online, the navigation is bad. Really bad. Whoever is in charge of making an application for storing information and getting at it in an intuitive manner ought to be shot, because when you need to look up that licensing information, it’s virtually impossible to get. Luckily, for a couple of years, you only needed it briefly. But that all changed not long ago, when Microsoft actually decided to distribute software in this manner.
Now I get that they want to be all efficient, and that it will lead to software rental. I really do. I’m not even against the concept. If it’s done right. At this point, it’s not.
One of my customers, for instance, purchased a new server, and they also purchased SQL Server to go with it. After determining that we needed to download the software from eOpen, we clicked in the logical place – Software Downloads. Unfortunately, this just returned a message saying that we needed to accept the agreements, with a link back to the eOpen home page. That’s it. Nothing more. After twiddling about for the better part of an hour, we finally figured out that we needed to list the agreement, and way down at the bottom of the agreement in question is a box where you can type your name in lieu of a signature. Once you do, you have accepted the agreement, and you can get at your software.
Unfortunately, that’s not it. In this case, you then get the privilege of downloading nearly 3GB of data. Even over a decent connection, it’s still going to take more than 4 hours, according to the helpful download manager plugin. Oh, and did I mention that because of the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration, we couldn’t actually make that download happen (until we removed all those “protective” settings)? So we have a server, all buckled down, but we can’t actually download the software onto it. Nice thinking, Redmond.
I have no idea if this four-hour download will work, but I have to imagine that the cost of a DVD can’t be worth the customer dis-satisfaction that this is driving.
Comments
52 responses to “Microsoft eOpen Sucks”
We have been trying to use eOpen to manage our Office 200X suites. The only problem is that they will not let me download Office2007, just 2003. Also they give me a license for the 2007 Family products but not for the suite. This has been making me crazy as my vendor and I have been battling with Microsoft to fix the issue since March without any luck. At first they told us we had not been buying software assurance so I didn’t have rights to 2007, but recently we have actually been buying 2007 licenses I can’t install it since I don’t have a key for it. And I have no idea what their excuse will be now.
eOpen has a terrible user interface. The last time it took me an hour to get the software i needed. And today: No way that I could log on , – but then in a flash of genius I used my Opera browser and – wooops – logged on – and downloaded. So Opera is the choice of browser for eOpen!
It’s like a day at the fair – here’s the Microsoft merry-go-round !!!
Trying to log-on – sometimes works, mostly doesn’t, then a completely inuntuitive navigation system requiring use of back button … information never there or completely misleading … same as everyone else …
Roll on an alternative …
i thought it was just me being a mac-head having a bad windows day. seems not. down with microsoft eopen!
I am also getting the “service temporarily unavailable”. Each time I have called MS, they say to wait 24 hours. I informed them (in a firm voice) that I have already done that and was not willing to keep waiting for days. I was denied my inital request for them to send the media, so I asked for a supervisor. The supervisor was able (after more insisting on my part) to send the media overnight at no charge.
Microsoft eopen is an ASSHOLE
I purchased the license for Office Communicator 2007 and now I need to download the software. It has been 1 good day wihtout any luck accessing to eopen site.
Everytime I click on Software Download, I get “Error: sorry temporary unavailable”
I could not agree more. This crappy eopen site has stopped me from doing work today. I needed a template in word for an agenda I am working on. Because of Microsoft’s genuine software validation software I can’t download anything. The reason is I installed project without the license key because the eopen site was down. I checked back today and it is still down. So I can’t get my key off the site so I can validate the software thus allowing me to download the template I need.
UGH! No wonder I switched to a MAC at home.
Piece of shit.
Plain and simple.
I’ve been using eOpen for a few years and have haranged my company’s MS rep about it repeatedly (to no avail). It is hard to believe it could be that bad. Besides all the issues mentioned above (which I am really familar with) there is also the issue of sharing the information. If you work for a large organisation (like I do) you want multiple perople accessing the same data, but each with their own credentials. For example, our IT purchasing office does all the registering and clicking on “I accept”, but I need access for the licensing keys and software downloads. Can she just give me read access to the data? No. I have to either register it all again myself, or logon using her credentials.
Same here. Took me 2 hours to find product keys & download software. I have called my retail account manager to get help. Still waiting for license keys to install on out new server. It is joke. After you purchased, no way out. Bill Gate is SUCK. I HATE MICROSOFT PRODUCTS.