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Do you know it can take less then 5% of the time to rewrite to port a UNIX application using MKS Toolkit?
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Preferred Customer Subscription (PCS) Value Proposition

A Preferred Customer Subscription (PCS) is the most cost-effective way to protect your software investment. It not only saves invaluable time, and money, but ensures uninterrupted access to vital technical support and product upgrades - features that can make a real difference to your bottom line.

With a PCS support contract in effect, you receive the following:
  • Guaranteed compatibility for all future releases, bug fixes, and patches of Microsoft operating systems that are released during the support period. Please note that MKS Toolkit products are often but not always compatible with new releases from Microsoft and the current version of your MKS Toolkit product may stop working correctly;
  •  All future enhancements and bug fixes from us (we generally release one major upgrade and several patches every year);
  •  Unlimited access to vital technical support via telephone and email to highly skilled customer support engineers and software developers;
  •  Comprehensive documentation, up-to-date guides, technical bulletins, and release notes;
  •  Better budget management with centralized, synchronized subscription termination dates.
If you allow your valuable PCS subscription to lapse and at a later date wish to reinstate it, you may do so, however, the cost of reinstatement will be substantially greater than your annual renewal rate.

Please note:

If you elect not to renew your PCS support contract, you will not be entitled to any enhancements and bug fixes from us even if the release or patch containing the enhancements and bug fixes was available prior to the expiration of your contract. Additionally, we cannot guarantee that your current version of MKS Toolkit will operate correctly on future releases of Microsoft Windows.
 

How to Obtain a PCS Support Contract

Product Purchase

MKS Toolkit and X/Server products are sold bundled with one-year of PCS. However, PCS for a new product purchase is valid only if all other active licenses in a customer's inventory are also covered by PCS.  If you are not currently on a maintenance program and would like to be, contact MKS Toolkit Sales.

PCS Renewal

Customers are notified by MKS Toolkit Sales prior to the expiration of their PCS support contract with renewal information and pricing to renew for an additional year(s). PCS renewal is allowed only if all other active licenses in a customer's inventory are also covered by PCS.

PCS renewal pricing is honored for 30 days after the initial PCS support contract expiration date.

Please note:

If you elect not to renew your PCS support contract, you will not be entitled to any enhancements and bug fixes from us even if the release or patch containing the enhancements and bug fixes was available prior to the expiration of your contract.  Additionally, we cannot guarantee that your current version of MKS Toolkit will operate correctly on future releases of Microsoft Windows.


If you believe your PCS is about to expire and have not received any notification of your contract status, contact MKS Toolkit Sales.

PCS Reinstatement

In situations where older licenses were purchased without a PCS support contract or a current PCS Support contract has lapsed more than 30 days, PCS can be reinstated by purchasing updates for your unsupported license. An update license is a new version of an existing license (not an additional license) and is bundled with one-year of PCS.   However, an update purchase is allowed only if all other active licenses in a customer's inventory are also covered by PCS.
  •  The option to purchase an update is only available during the 24 months after the initial PCS Support contract expiration date.
  •  If updates are shipped rather than downloaded from our website, the customer is responsible for shipping costs.
If you do not have a current PCS support contract and would like one, contact MKS Toolkit Sales

License Retirement

In certain instances, customers may wish to reduce the number of licenses they have active (i.e., currently in use).  These would include instances where a product is no longer being used or an overall reduction in installed base. 

When a customer chooses to reduce the number of active licenses, the license rights for these licenses must be retired by completing a Request for License Retirement, available by contacting MKS Toolkit Sales.  This form must be signed by a representative of the customer with binding authority to make this decision and is not effective until the form is countersigned by us.    The customer will pay PCS going forward according to the new license quantity.  

Licenses, while retired, cannot be used but can be reinstated at a later date. For details, see the PCS reinstatement section on our website.

Reductions are only effective going forward from the date we are notified of the reduction, and we will not give credit for past reductions in license usage.  We reserve the right to decline acceptance of customer requests for reduction.

Synchronized PCS Program

Effective: March 17, 2009

The Synchronized PCS Program is available to help our customers manage the PCS renewals for their inventory of MKS Toolkit licenses. Using this program, customers can align their PCS renewals for all their licenses to occur on a single date. This can significantly reduce the overhead of budgeting and paying these renewals as they become due and ensures that PCS does not lapse on a license because of an oversight. 

Who is eligible?  

Basically, any customer with more than one MKS Toolkit license with a current PCS support contract1 is eligible for this program. If all your licenses are not currently covered by a PCS support contract, we will be happy to work with you to get these incorporated into the program2

The only customers who would not benefit from this program are those who own only one license or who have multiple licenses but already have their PCS renewal dates synchronized. 

How does it work?

PCS renewal dates for all current PCS support contracts owned by a customer are synchronized using a renewal date that is mutually-agreed upon by the customer and us.

1A current PCS support contract is defined as a contract that is active/not expired.

2When a customer chooses to reduce the number of active licenses, the license rights for these licenses must be retired by completing a Request for License Retirement, available by contacting MKS Toolkit Sales.  This form must be signed by a representative of the customer with binding authority to make this decision and is not effective until the form is countersigned by us.    The customer will pay PCS going forward according to the new license quantity.  Licenses, while retired, cannot be used but can be reinstated at a later date. For details, see the PCS reinstatement section of this page.


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