microsoft volume licensing
Microsoft
Fredrik Filipsson

Discover the intricacies of Microsoft Volume Licensing in this comprehensive guide. We’ll delve into its benefits, how it works, and the various programs available, helping you choose the best fit for your organization’s needs.

Table Of Contents
  1. What is Microsoft Volume Licensing?

What is Microsoft Volume Licensing?

Microsoft Volume Licensing is a service that allows organizations to acquire multiple software licenses at a reduced cost. This service is designed to make it easier and more affordable for organizations to run software on multiple computers.

Instead of purchasing individual boxed software for each device, organizations can acquire licenses for the necessary software, reducing physical costs and providing more customized purchasing options.

How does Microsoft Volume Licensing work?

Microsoft Volume Licensing allows organizations to pay only for the necessary software licenses. This eliminates the need for additional components such as media (CDs/DVDs), user guides, and other packaging items with boxed software.

Depending on the specific Microsoft Volume Licensing program chosen, organizations may still receive media and can acquire media (or supplemental media), documentation, and product support separately as needed.

Benefits of Microsoft Volume Licensing

  • Cost-Effective: Purchasing in volume often reduces cost, making it a more affordable option for organizations.

  • Customized Purchasing Options: Microsoft Volume Licensing provides more customized purchasing options that align with the organization’s needs.

  • Improved Software Management: The service simplifies managing software within an organization.

Keys to Understanding Microsoft Volume Licensing

It’s important to understand the major characteristics of Microsoft Volume Licensing policies and programs to choose the optimal approach for an organization. These include:

  • The size and type of the organization
  • The Microsoft products the organization wants to license
  • How the organization wants to use those Microsoft products

MS Licensing is Tailored for Specific Organizations

Microsoft tailors volume licensing programs to meet the needs of specific industries such as federal, state, and local government, education, healthcare, charities, independent software vendors, and service providers.

MS Licensing Options for Small Businesses

open value licensing

The Open programs provide smaller organizations with a simple, cost-effective way to acquire the latest Microsoft technology. These programs include:

  • Open Value: Optimal for organizations that want to standardize their IT infrastructure and maximize their investment with Software Assurance.

  • Open Value Subscription: Optimal for organizations that want lower upfront costs and can increase or decrease license count annually to accommodate changes in desktop PC count.

  • Open License: Optimal for organizations that want to start using the software immediately and pay as they go.

MS Licensing Options for Midsize and Large Businesses

microsoft volume licensing programs

Microsoft Volume Licensing programs can support dynamic IT infrastructure and simplify software license management for midsize and large businesses. These programs include:

  • Open Value: Optimal for organizations that want to standardize their IT infrastructure and maximize their investment with Software Assurance.

  • Open Value Subscription: Optimal for organizations that want lower upfront costs and can increase or decrease license count annually to accommodate changes in desktop PC count.

  • Select Plus: Acquire the latest Microsoft technology through a pay-as-you-go licensing model so that you can maintain a mixed software environment. Acquire software licenses and services by the business unit while realizing volume purchasing advantages as one organization. The agreement never expires and has an optional 36 months of Software Assurance.

  • Select: Acquire the latest Microsoft technology through a pay-as-you-go licensing model to maintain a mixed software environment. Ability to forecast your license needs over three years. Software Assurance is optional.

  • Enterprise Agreement: Provides cost savings beyond standard license pricing, helps your business standardize IT across the enterprise, and includes comprehensive Software Assurance benefits.

  • Enterprise Subscription Agreement: Provides the benefits of an Enterprise Agreement with lower upfront costs and additional flexibility. Optimal for organizations that want to increase or decrease license count annually to accommodate changes in desktop PC count.

Microsoft Licensing Programs for Government Organizations

open l icense for government

Volume Licensing has government licensing offerings for all sizes of eligible organizations with special pricing and terms to better align with the way government organizations acquire software licenses.

Microsoft Licensing Programs for Educational Institutions

Microsoft has three subscription licensing offerings for education customers: Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES), Campus Enrollment, and School Enrollment. Each enrollment falls under the Campus and School Agreement, includes Software Assurance, and provides Student Licensing options.

Microsoft Subscription Licensing Programs

Microsoft offers several subscription licensing programs, including:

  • Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES): This provides qualifying academic institutions with assured coverage for desktop platform products and the flexibility to add additional products under a single subscription agreement.

  • School Enrollment: This is for primary/secondary schools and preschools that want the simplicity of licensing all products organization-wide and ordering any product for a quantity that matches the annual count of an organization’s PCs/devices.

  • Campus: Campus Agreements offer affordable, subscription-based licensing for higher education institutions to license the entire organization or just a single department. The New EES program currently replaces this annual program; however, existing Campus customers can continue to purchase under this agreement for the remainder of their contract term.

Microsoft Perpetual Licensing Programs

In perpetual licensing programs, you purchase the software licenses, giving your organization rights to the software after the licensing term ends. These programs include:

  • Open License for Academic: An easy, cost-effective way for educational institutions with as few as five computers to license Microsoft software. You simply order the number of licenses you need. Software Assurance and physical installation media are available for additional fees.

  • Select License for Academic: Acquire the latest Microsoft technology through a pay-as-you-go licensing model so that you can maintain a mixed software environment. Ability to forecast your license needs over three years. Software Assurance is optional.

Microsoft Licensing Programs for Charitable Organizations

Eligible nonprofit organizations can acquire multiple software licenses, rather than multiple software packages, at reduced prices through Volume Licensing.

Microsoft Licensing Programs for Healthcare Organizations

Microsoft offers licensing programs tailored to healthcare organizations, supporting patient health and safety. Volume Licensing programs are tailored to your organization’s size and needs, making predicting and managing license purchases simple.

MS Licensing Options for Service Providers, Hosters, and Applications as Service Providers and ISVs

The Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) is for organizations that want to offer hosted software and services to end customers, such as Web hosting, hosted applications, messaging, collaboration, and platform infrastructure. Learn what are the differences between OEM and Volume Licensing.

  • In conclusion, Microsoft Volume Licensing is a way for organizations of all sizes and types to acquire Microsoft software. It offers a range of options to suit specific needs, making it an ideal solution for managing software licenses.

Microsoft Software Assurance

Software Assurance is a comprehensive maintenance offering that can help organizations maximize their software investment. It combines the latest software with phone support, partner services, training, and IT tools. Organizations can choose Software Assurance at the time of purchase and begin using the benefits immediately for the term of their license agreement.

FAQs

  1. What is Microsoft Volume Licensing?

    • Microsoft Volume Licensing is a service that allows organizations to acquire multiple software licenses at a reduced cost. This service is designed to make it easier and more affordable for organizations to run software on multiple computers.

  2. How does Microsoft Volume Licensing work?

    • Microsoft Volume Licensing works by allowing organizations to pay only for the software licenses they need. This eliminates the need for additional components such as media (CDs/DVDs), user guides, and other packaging items that come with boxed software.

  3. What are the benefits of Microsoft Volume Licensing?

    • Microsoft Volume Licensing offers several benefits including cost-effectiveness, customized purchasing options, and improved software management.

  4. What are the different types of Microsoft Volume Licensing Programs?
    • Microsoft offers different Volume Licensing programs tailored to meet the needs of specific industries and organization sizes. Some of these include Open License, Open Value, Open Value Subscription, Select Plus, Enterprise Agreement, and Enterprise Subscription Agreement.

  5. What is Microsoft Software Assurance?

    • Software Assurance is a comprehensive maintenance offering that can help organizations get the most out of their software investment. It combines the latest software with phone support, partner services, training, and IT tools.

  6. What are the licensing options for small businesses?

    • For smaller organizations, the Open programs provide a simple, cost-effective way to acquire the latest Microsoft technology. These programs include Open License, Open Value, and Open Value Subscription.

  7. What are the licensing options for midsize and large businesses?

    • For midsize and large businesses, Microsoft Volume Licensing programs can support dynamic IT infrastructure and simplify software license management. These programs include Open Value, Open Value Subscription, Select Plus, Enterprise Agreement, and Enterprise Subscription Agreement.

  8. What are Microsoft Licensing Programs for government organizations?

    • Volume Licensing has government licensing offerings for all sizes of eligible organizations with special pricing and terms to better align to the way government organizations acquire software licenses.

If you need assistance navigating the complexities of Microsoft Volume Licensing, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Redress Compliance