MS: $4,000 for Daylight Saving Fix

Customers using Microsoft products that have entered their "Extended" support phase will need to fork over $4,000 for a patch that makes the software compatible with the new March 11 date for Daylight Saving Time (DST), according to Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley.

Among the products affected that have left "Mainstream" support are Windows 2000, Exchange Server 2000 and Outlook 2000. Foley learned of the cost in a PowerPoint presentation distributed to analysts, which explains that due to the number of customers affected by the DST change, Microsoft will not be charging the standard, pricey fee to join its Extended Support Hotfix program. Instead, customers can simply purchase the DST hotfixes they need for a flat $4,000 USD fee.