We've been caught out by this, so I thought I'd share.
Please note that maintenance paying DS6.9 customers will be automatically switched over to Deployment Server 7.6 on license renewal. If you want to continue using the DS6.9 codebase (which is now rebranded as Ghost Solution Suite 3) you must contact your sales representative or account manager.
The relevant extract from the GSS3.0 licensing FAQ (many thanks Andy) is this,
Q. We are current on maintenance for Deployment Solution. Are we entitled to Ghost Solution Suite 3.0?
A. Not automatically. However, through pre-approved discounting you can buy Ghost Solution Suite 3.0 licenses at the same cost as your Deployment Solution renewal, effectively trading over your Deployment Solution licenses to Ghost Solution Suite. The only issue with this is that you would need to wait until your Deployment Solution renewal is up for this to be 100% cost effective. If you have a lot of maintenance left on your Deployment Solution licenses but want to begin using Ghost Solution Suite 3.0 right away, please contact your sales rep to see if we can help.
My personal feeling on this is that the decision to migrate DS6.9 licenses automatically to DS7.5 is illogical. They are completely different products, and target different use-case scenarios.
This decision to uplift customers straight to 7.6 without any dialog poses the risk of customer attrition. All DS6.9 customers may not necessarily be aware that,
- Ghost Solution Suite has been revived and version 3 has been released (GSS3)
- That GSS3 is really DS6.9 under-the-hood
- That they can transfer their DS6.9 licenses to GSS3 to ensure business continuity.
This means they might try 7.6, find it unsuited to their specific use-case, and then abandon the brand. If you are a Symantec partner, please do all you can to discuss the options with your customers before their license renewal date.