Microsoft Open License

Microsoft Open License is a Volume Licensing program for small to mid-sized organizations that have fewer than 250 desktop PCs. The program provides a simple, flexible, and cost-effective way to buy the latest Microsoft technology to meet your organization's needs and procurement.

Open License benefits include:

• A minimum purchase of just five licenses.
• Discounts off the retail price of software.
• A one-time transaction, so that you can pay at the time you purchase software.
• The rights to create a standard image and deploy it on multiple machines, and rights to transfer licenses from one machine to another.
• The ability to obtain licenses from multiple locations through a worldwide reseller channel.
• The ability to track and manage licenses by using online tools.
• Access to Microsoft Software Assurance, an enhanced maintenance program that helps you get the most out of your software investment.
• A single authorization identification number that can be shared with qualified affiliate organizations.
• More detailed information

Open License Options

The Microsoft Open License program offers three ways to simplify and save on software purchases:

• Open Value is designed specifically to give you simplified license management, better management of software costs, and greater control over your IT investment. The Open Value option includes Software Assurance, an enhanced maintenance program from Microsoft that provides you with access to added benefits such as training, deployment planning, software upgrades, and product support.

  The Open Value program offers three options: subscription, company-wide, and non–company-wide. Each is designed to meet different business needs. The subscription option is for organizations that prefer to subscribe to software products. For organizations that prefer to purchase software licenses, Open Value provides company-wide and non–company-wide purchasing options. The company-wide option offers simplified license management and additional discounts.

  Learn more about Open Value http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/open/openvalue.mspx

• Open Business is ideal for organizations that want to pay for software licenses as they need them. This option helps give your organization the flexibility to grow as your business needs increase.
• Open Volume is designed for organizations that want to increase their up-front purchase in one or more product pools to gain deeper savings. The Open Volume option uses a system of product pools and points to establish purchase minimums for discounted prices.

  With Open Volume, software products are grouped into three product pools: applications, systems, and servers. You can combine similar Microsoft software products in the product pools to receive volume pricing discounts. The applications pool includes products such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Project, Microsoft Office Visio, and Microsoft Visual Studio. The systems pool includes Microsoft Windows operating system upgrades such as Windows Professional Edition. The server pool includes products such as Microsoft Windows Standard Server Edition and Microsoft Exchange Server.

Microsoft Select License

Microsoft Select License is a Volume Licensing program for mid-sized and large organizations that have 250 or more desktop PCs. The program provides a flexible and cost-effective way to buy the latest Microsoft technology.

Select License is a transactional program for organizations that have mixed software requirements. It is based on a forecast licensing model in which usage is measured against the forecast. This program offers a flexible and cost-effective way to make licensing purchases on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Select License benefits include:

• An incentive-based price structure that helps you get the best price based on your organization's technology needs and volume of purchase.
• An annual payment plan if you add Microsoft Software Assurance at the time of purchase. Software Assurance helps you increase business productivity by ensuring access to the most current Microsoft products and solutions and by maximizing the skills and capabilities of your organization's IT staff and end users through training and support.
• A flexible, pay-as-you-go purchasing model that gives you the freedom to purchase the software licenses you need, when you need them, so you can start using the software immediately.
• Access to Microsoft Volume License Services (MVLS), a password-protected, secure Web site that offers electronic access to purchase history, order confirmations, and other helpful resources that help you manage your licenses with ease and confidence.
• Instant access to hundreds of software titles through media kits so that you can easily evaluate, deploy, and train employees.
• For more detailed information, see http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/sel/default.mspx
  
  

Microsoft Enterprise Agreement

Microsoft Enterprise Agreement is a Volume Licensing program for large organizations that have 250 or more desktop PCs. The program provides a simple, flexible, and affordable way to buy the latest Microsoft software products.

Enterprise Agreement helps your business standardize IT across the enterprise, simplifies license management, and provides maintenance benefits to help ensure that your company maintains a competitive advantage and to increase employee productivity.

Enterprise Agreement offers many benefits, including:

• Volume pricing and the rights to the latest Microsoft software products selected in your agreement.
• Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007, Windows Vista Enterprise Edition, and Microsoft Enterprise Client Access License Suite or...
• Microsoft Professional Platform Products, including Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007, Windows Vista Enterprise Edition, and Microsoft Core Client Access License Suite.
• Additional products, available as needed.
• Amortized payments over a three-year term, with the option to renew with Microsoft Software Assurance only.
• A fixed, annual price per desktop for enterprise products based on the initial number of desktops enrolled.
• Centralized purchasing for your organization, including for qualified affiliates worldwide.
• Software Assurance benefits, including new version upgrades, Home Use Program, 24x7 phone support and Web support, Desktop Deployment Planning Services (DDPS), technical training, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Extended Hotfix Support.
• For more detailed information, see http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/ent/default.mspx
  
  

Microsoft Enterprise Subscription Agreement

Microsoft Enterprise Subscription Agreement is a Volume Licensing program for large organizations that have 250 or more desktop PCs. With Enterprise Subscription agreement, your company can subscribe to—rather than purchase—Microsoft software licenses.

As an Enterprise Subscription Agreement customer, you can standardize your enterprise by licensing Microsoft enterprise products (Microsoft Office Professional Plus, Microsoft Office Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise, Core CAL Suite, and Enterprise CAL Suite) at volume pricing based on a three-year agreement term.

Enterprise Subscription Agreement benefits include:

• A subscription-based agreement.
• Significant discounts off full retail prices.
• Lower annual payments than required for a new Enterprise Agreement.
• Flexible pricing to accommodate acquisitions and divestitures.
• Lower total cost of ownership and improved workplace productivity by standardizing on Microsoft software for all computers across the enterprise.
• Microsoft Software Assurance benefits, including new version upgrades, Home Use Program, 24x7 phone support and Web support, Desktop Deployment Planning Services (DDPS), technical training, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Extended Hotfix Support.
• For more detailed information, see http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/esa/overview.mspx
  
  

Microsoft Software Assurance

Microsoft Software Assurance is a maintenance offer that helps your organization get the most from Microsoft software through a broad range of benefits. From deployment planning and staff training to product support and software upgrades, Software Assurance benefits help you increase worker productivity, accelerate organizational performance, and realize a return on your software investment faster.

Software Assurance benefits provide support as you plan, deploy, use, maintain, and transition your software solutions. With Software Assurance, you can:

• Stay current: Software Assurance benefits help you keep up with the ever-changing IT landscape.
• Manage costs and operational efficiencies: You select the benefits that add value to your organization so that you can budget more predictably, manage costs, and improve operational efficiencies.
• Increase productivity: With phone support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and Web support available during business hours, your IT staff can quickly address business-critical issues to minimize downtime.

You can choose Software Assurance maintenance up front at the time of purchase and begin using your benefits immediately for the term of your license agreement.

For more detailed information, see http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/sa/default.mspx

Every customer with Microsoft Software Assurance receives access to new versions of licensed software released during the term of the agreement. Having new version rights to the latest Microsoft software provides flexibility and simplifies the software procurement process, shortens the business planning cycle, and enables you to deploy solutions at your own pace. With the New Version Rights benefit, you can also lower the costs associated with acquiring new version releases and take immediate advantage of the latest technology.