>Can't you guys order from vendors? I gave up ordering from MS for both cost and slowness reasons (excepting patches, where there's no choice). Vendors can usually tell you if they have something in stock right away, and if they don't, you can look elsewhere...
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>I think we DO order from vendors. But I really couldn't tell you for sure, since I'm not involved in Purchasing. My only involvement is in recommending what to buy, not who we actually buy it from. I know we get a lot of stuff from Ingram, Tech Data, etc, but where VS comes from ????

Yeah, I used to have to go through Purchasing, I know what that's like - before Al Gore's re-invention came along. It may be part hype, but as far as purchases, it's a HUGE improvement. I can order direct, which means receiving orders in a week instead of two months or so. I make the order, so it's not lost in some disinterested party's Inbox. And I save taxpayers money, since I shop around for a good deal. Anyway, good luck on your VS :)