Public schools in Gauteng are struggling to install new Microsoft products, because, according to them, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has not finalized its licensing contract with Microsoft.<\/p>\n
MyBroadband has received information regarding multiple schools in Gauteng which complained they are battling\u00a0to receive new Microsoft licences.<\/p>\n
The lack of licences means that the schools cannot install certain software to new PCs, or fix old Windows systems, because the old licence codes are no longer valid.<\/p>\n
In response to the complaints from these schools, the GDE sent the following message to relevant parties on 18 February 2016:<\/p>\n
Kindly note GDE is currently finalising the 5-year contract for Microsoft Licences, which implies we currently do not have active licences to distribute. Once this is finalised we will project the plan how the schools will receive and utilise the concerned software.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Some schools have raised concerns that there is no time frame given regarding the GDE\u2019s negotiations\u00a0with Microsoft.<\/p>\n
There is also conflicting information coming from Microsoft regarding the licence renewal agreement.<\/p>\n
Microsoft told MyBroadband that it can \u201cconfirm that the Gauteng Department of Education renewed their licence last year for 5 years \u2013 and as such all K-12 public schools in Gauteng are validly licenced\u201d.<\/p>\n
So while the GDE\u00a0said it is finalizing the licence contract with Microsoft, Microsoft said the agreement was finalised in 2015.<\/p>\n
“At this point, I am able to confirm that they have a valid licence agreement, which is currently active – so I am unsure why they have issued this advisory,” said Microsoft spokesperson\u00a0Ashleigh Fenwick.<\/p>\n
MyBroadband asked the Gauteng Department of Education for comment, but there was no response by the time of publication.<\/p>\n
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