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”
Sounds like a bunch of noobs that can’t figure out a simple website. Hense the reason people shouldn’t “wear a hat” that doesn’t fit.
Worked ok on like the 5th or 6th attempt to log in, I was getting the same stupid message saying unavailable from this site, etc. for weeks on end.
I have tried for about a year to figure out how to get my msdn downloads. I am lazy, I admit it. And I bought this on a whim, so never got that concerned about not getting it. Dealing with chronic pain, pinched nerve in neck, not anxious to sit in front of a computer even more trying to figure out how to be a programmer for real (VBA does most of what I want) OK, useless digressions.
My DELL rep got MS on the phone for me, the only thing that was not explained to me when I bought was having to activate the MSDN subscription, I thought it would show up with my other products in the licenses area.
I have to say eOpen’s documentation absolutely suxxxxxx.
Here are the steps I had to finally follow, courtesy of a MS rep who answered the DELL sweetie who finally got the problem solved:
Hello Lisa,
This is in response to your phone call regarding your MSDN Subscription via eOpen.
We value your time and want to assist you as best we can. Please follow the steps below to add a contact to your new MSDN subscription.
1. Sign into the eOpen website at https://eopen.microsoft.com using your Windows Live.
2. Once you have entered your profile information, click on “Add Agreement” which is located on the left side of the page.
3. Enter your Authorization number and License number and click “Add to View” Repeat this step to add additional Authorization and License numbers.
4. Once an agreement has been added, it will be displayed on the “Agreement Summary” page.
5. Click on the License number to access the “License Detail” page.
6. On the “License Detail” page, click on “Activating your MSDN Subscription”. Please note this is a pop up so make sure your pop up blocker is off.
7. On the “MSDN User List”, click on “Add Users”.
8. Select the MSDN subscription level that you have purchased and would like to assign and click “Next”.
9. Select the MSDN benefit(s) that you would like to assign to this user and click “Next”.
10. Enter the User information and Media Shipment details if applicable and click “Next”.
11. Verify all information is entered correctly and click “Finish”.
An automated email will then be sent to the contact assigned to the subscription that includes the Benefit Access Number (BAN) and details of the benefits assigned.
If you need assistance in navigating the MSDN website please contact the MSDN support team at (800)759-5474 (Please select option 4
For news and information about MSDN, please visit our website at: http://msdn.microsoft.com
If we may be of further assistance, please feel free to contact our customer service center at (866) 230-0560. Our office hours are Monday-Friday from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Grant
Microsoft Volume Licensing Services
[email protected]
(866) 230-0560
Message received date: 8/25/08
I hate eOpen with every fiber of my being. Ugh. I love how there’s no real way to generate a statement/report on your agreements. You can get a software total, but there is no way to correlate to your agreements. The only way to get that info is to individually click on each agreement. And when you purchase renewals, they don’t even correlate with your existing agreements. What a cluster. This is the process from hell. Are they trying to get people to avoid complying with licensing requirements?
Things could be worse, you could have purchased eOpen SBS. You can’t even download eOpen SBS or get at the Keys through eOpen. I’ve been using eOpen since its inception, but I’ve never purchased SBS via it. Now i’m regretting that..
Oh and who ever designed eOpen.Microsoft.Com should be absolutely shot.. no questions asked.. they have absolutely no idea what they’re doing.
How difficult can it be to make a website where you add an agreement then now are presented with a list of your keys and available downloads.. you think thats bad.. wait till you try Symantec’s Licensing Website for Backupexec. Holy shit can I really bill my client 5 hours for activating their licenses on that piece of shit website?
Just got off the phone with MS MVLS support. They’re aware of the eOpen downloads problem. Supposedly it has been down due to “maintenance” since last Thursday. That’s one week of downtime. Nice, huh.
Anyway, due to the downtime, they were able to dispatch a physical media kit to me. I asked for it to be overnighted, which they weren’t willing to do unless I provided our own UPS account number. I’m guessing that I would have been able to get them to foot the overnight shipping bill if I kept pressing them on it, but at this point, I was frustrated enough I just didn’t want to deal with that.
So…if you’re in the same situation, call MVLS support at 866-230-0560 or email them at [email protected]. They’ll hook you up with a media kit.
After dealing with the same eOpen issues for the past months and getting absolutely no help from MVLS support, I finally decided to take some action. I was able to obtain the contact information for a local (Minneapolis) high-level MS employee. I typed up my complaints and emailed them to her with the hopes that she’d be able to put me in contact with someone on the eOpen team.
I posted the email here. I’ll post updates there as well, as I get them. I’d encourage you all to do something similar if you’re able. The current eOpen situation is ridiculous and MS needs to hear from you all.
Same here. Complete nightmare. They took my cash two weeks ago and I still cannot get the download to show.
I can login, view the agreement – but I just get the smae message as the original post here:
“Unfortunately, this just returned a message saying that we needed to accept the agreements, with a link back to the eOpen home page.”
A terrible site with desperate navigation techniques leads to an extremely poor experience. I wish I had the CD version now – I went for the download so as to get the software quickly (what a joke).
They make you jump through hoops to do the simplest thing surely. I had to buy this software, but reinforces why we are Linux-based.
I too have to download SQL 2005 from eOpen and the site has been down for days. I call their support and all they want me to do is clear cookies and restart the computer. You’d think their own support staff would have to pass a Microsoft exam or two … clear cookies and restart … god! This is why open source (linux, MySQL, etc…) is superior. If you need it, download it! No questions no problems.
As with MikeT on July 28, 2008 5:38 PM, my project is falling behind too. I requested media and they were going to charge me to ship it slow boat UPS. I got them to waive the charges however it’s still slow azz UPS! Maybe before the shipment arrives the new version of SQL will be out and I’ll have better luck downloading it!
It is sas that these complaints began over 6 months ago .. and here I am with thew same problems. I am trying to d/l (windows 2003 64bit since Microsoft will only see me the 2008 version). I have a high-speed cable connection. According to ther d/l manager it will take 63 days!!! If I hit pause and the restart, the speed rockets up to 300/kps. After a minute, it drops to under 2/kps. This is a joke. My project now falls behind.
I also asked for the disk and it says it will take them a freaking 14 days to fulfill my request! How hard is it to stick a CD in an envelope and mail it? Maybe they should talk to NetFlix.
I have been trying for two days now to download Office 2008, and cannot get beyond accepting the “Agreement(s)”. You say to list the Agreement. Which link gets me to list it? I have tried clicking on all the links on the left hand side, and get nothing, or, get a redirection error. It will not let me click on my license number (well, it does, but does not take me to anything). I am very, very frustrated!!!!