Microsoft Action Pack Subscription

Wow! It took many many years, but FINALLY Microsoft have streamlined their MAPS (Microsoft Action Pack Subscription) process so that it just worked!

In previous years, renewing my MAPS has been a lesson in what not to do with an online renewal process. It’s taken forever, the information on the Partner website has been conflicting and confusing, the links in the renewal email have gone to the wrong place, I’ve had to call Microsoft Asia-Pacific to get things sorted out and even then my fax number from the past three years didn’t get changed 12 months ago — even after two phone calls and trying to reset it online. All in all, it’s been a bad experience for several years. So when I got the renewal email, I faced the prospect of renewing with some trepidation and fear, based on those previous experiences.

But this year it just worked:

• The link in the email went to the correct page (though I did have to scroll down some way to find the renewal button).
• The renewal link went to the correct page.
• The website ‘knew’ who I was based on my Microsoft Live ID (yeah, supposedly it knew this in previous years, but I’d end up in a loop of multiple browser windows open and still getting nowhere).
• The renewal process was quick and simple (it took less than 5 minutes, compared to HOURS of frustration in previous years). This was the BEST part.
• All my details were on one page and when I edited them, the changes seemed to hold, which means the fax number I tried to get changed 12 months ago has now been changed.
• The payment process was simple and quick, as was printing out the invoice and the receipt of an email confirmation of payment.
• And almost best of all, Microsoft didn’t force me to use Internet Explorer to do this transaction (as in previous years). The page loaded in Firefox and did not redirect to IE.

It’s taken an awfully long time, but finally Microsoft have simplified what always should have been a simple process. Sure, there’s some room for improvement, but they’ve come in leaps and bounds from the torturous path I’ve had to follow the past few years.

Thank you, Microsoft!