Not within a month after the release of Free Reporting Suite (that’s what MicroStrategy, Inc calls the free BI product), MicroStrategy, Inc. is giving away the must have features finally absolutely free. I user named rich Arriaga pointed out the same to me. First, I disbelieved, but I see that there are lot of change on the site itself. But one image showing that you need to pay for must have features still exist (check the image above). I thought I must have had done a mistaken in missing to read NOT INCLUDED during initial launch of Reporting Suite, but the site/license policy is indeed changed.

Also, now MicroStrategy explictly states that that technical support cost 18%, which I had posted earlier. Something that was missing from MicroStrategy, Inc site.

This will certainly help the MicroStrategy professionals community a lot and MicroStrategy clients in long run in easily hiring MicroStrategy professional readily and at good rate.

I would recommend you NOT jump from you seat by reading the word FREE. If you are a person who is a stakeholder for purchase decision of a BI product, you must be knowing it well that Nothing comes free in life.

Remember following things:

1. The MicroStrategy Reporting Suite may only be used for new MicroStrategy projects. Thus, products downloaded as part of the MicroStrategy Reporting Suite may not be substituted for existing products in existing MicroStrategy installations. Also, MicroStrategy Reporting Suite Technical Support Services pricing is not available for Products in existing MicroStrategy installations.
2. Free Reporting Suite is one and only for client who do NOT have a currently valid license. So don’t expect to upgrade your older version to v9 for free.
3. Recipient shall hold all Confidential Information received during the term of this Agreement in confidence during the term of this Agreement and for four (4) years thereafter. This so called Confidential Information is nothing but rates at which software is licensed. Big corporates gets too much of discount due to volume. The 4 years is the reason no one ever gets the idea about the rates which it was licensed for someone negotiating best rates to license of MicroStrategy. When I’ve got a chances with meeting people who decided to buy MicroStrategy licenses, they all told about the way they negotiated but not rates.
4. If you installed with 100 named user product key, you will have to purchase a 100 named user technical support even though your requirement may not be good enough for 25 named user. This is a very big headache for big companies specially.
5. On each Order, MicroStrategy will state the price of Technical Support Services for a period of one year commencing on the date of delivery of the Products. This is about 17% of the product cost (similar in line with SAP).
6. MicroStrategy Intelligence server send the license compliance information to MicroStrategy Server one a day. Today in the ear where each MicroStrategy machine is known by its unique installation activation, it is damn easy for them to find who is infringing on their licenses. I know in past they have gone suing client for non-compliance of licenses for a minor violation. The option to set time when to send license information is available in I-Server configuration. One can work around it by stop letting the machine access internet on which I-Server is installed. I some time really pity on those clients of MicroStrategy.
7. MicroStrategy’s Roles based (named user based) licensing strategy is very tricky for clients.
8. MicroStrategy has time bomb within the Software that shall prevent use of the Software. This time bomb can be triggered by them based on the free license serial key. We don’t know if these time bombs attached with free licenses. Sound funny. Read the full license agreement.
9. There is not guarantee of free upgrades anywhere. What if MicroStrategy ask for obscene amount for future upgrades.
10. MicroStrategy is notorious for arm twisting hooked customers with rigid pricing. I personally know of many companies who have drifted from MicroStrategy to other BI tools only because of licensing issues, very costly support, making vital “Named User” license exorbitantly costly.