TechSoup's Product and Partner Pages: A Quick Tour

"The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit." - Moliere

Some of my favorite calls that come in to TechSoup's customer service start with something like "I've read the program information and restrictions about the products on your website but since this is my first time placing a request I'd like to make sure I'm doing everything right!" I know the feeling. There's a lot of information to understand and absorb, and decisions to be made when requesting donated and discounted products through TechSoup.

I have experienced working in a number of unique and cutting-edge environments and with "unique and cutting-edge" there is always a bit of a learning curve and TechSoup is no exception.

Sure, you can go to a retail store and buy whatever you want whenever if you have the money and you can usually return it if the boss says "No. Not THAT one. That OTHER one." But of course you are paying full retail price for these products. At TechSoup, nonprofits and public libraries have an opportunity to request products through specific discount and donation programs — so you should really know what you want as well as the ins and outs of the partner program BEFORE you submit a request.

Today I'd like to highlight the layout of our Partner and Product pages — both of which have a lot of helpful information for nonprofits and libraries who may be requesting donations through TechSoup.

Donation Program pages may include:

Example: Symantec

• A description of the donation or discount program and the products being offered
• Links to relevant FAQs and the program restrictions
• General eligibility guidelines
• Tech support availability
• The program returns policy
• Links to the partner website(s)
• Relevant TechSoup articles and discussions

Product pages have recently been updated to include easier-to-navigate buttons for the following:

Example: Windows Server 2003 Standard

• Description: basic product description and functions, special activation or support instructions and direct from Partner options
• Related Products: licenses and other products that can be used with the product
• Features: extra and important features and benefits of the product
• Related Discussions: relevant TechSoup articles and discussions (these might give you comparisons or reviews of products to help you decide whether it's the right fit for your needs)
• System Requirements: required for product installation
• Restrictions: the partner program restrictions that the product falls under

Product pages also include:

• The administrative fee
• The name of the partner and links to their website
• The platform (Windows or Mac)
• Product ID (a good tool for searching and reference)
• Media (CD, DVD, online subscription, download)
• Availability

Happy reading! Don't forget that you can always contact us if you have any questions!

Photo: ytang3