Software Asset Management (SAM) Discussion

There is a lot of confusion surrounding Microsoft Enterprise Agreements (EA)and customers can find themselves non compliant due to a lack of understanding how these agreements work. Some customers believe an EA licences them for every Microsoft product and therefore do not need to worry about compliance. Microsoft are putting a lot of focus into the way customers covered by an EA are managing their compliance. Below is a summary of how an EA works.

Enterprise and Enterprise Subscription Agreements are for customers with 250+ PCs who want to standardise all their PCs on 1 or more MS Platform Product

EA means you cover all Qualified Desktops* that you own with 1 or more of the Platform Products

Available only from Enterprise Software Advisors (ESAs) and Large Account Resellers (LARs).
For corporate customers with 250 or more desktops making a strategic decision to standardize on Microsoft software.
Customers are able to license Microsoft software to standardize on their choice of the Microsoft enterprise software (Office Professional Plus, Office Enterprise, Windows Vista Business Upgrade, Core Client Access License, and Enterprise CAL Suite, which includes the Core CAL plus seven additional CALs: Office SharePoint Enterprise CAL, Office Communications Server Standard and Enterprise CALs, Exchange Enterprise CAL, Forefront™ Security Suite, Operations Manager Client OML, and Windows Rights Management Server CAL).
Savings for a three-year agreement term and platform software.
Requires only a single annual true-up order for new platform software licenses used in the year.
SA included providing the most comprehensive benefits offering available.
Renewal for an additional one- or three-year term.
 

Microsoft Enterprise Subscription Agreement

Available only from Enterprise Software Advisors (ESAs) and  Large Account Resellers (LARs).
For corporate customers with 250 or more desktops.
It is the most comprehensive benefits offering available if they prefer to subscribe to, rather than acquire, Microsoft software licenses.
Has the same benefits as EA (above).
Renewal or license buyout options are available at agreement end
Enterprise Subscription Agreement permits you to reduce your PC count at the anniversary date if you have a fluctuating or seasonal business, bear in mind you cannot reduce lower than the program minimum of 250PCs
 

Training and Evaluation Licenses

The Select License, Enterprise Subscription Agreement, and Enterprise Agreement programs offer a limited number of training and evaluation software license use grants.
Twenty copies per software title for use in a dedicated in-house training facility.
Ten copies per software title for 60-day evaluation.
 

Definitions

*“qualified desktop” means any personal desktop computer, portable computer, workstation or similar device that is used by or for the benefit of an enrolled affiliate or any affiliate included in its enterprise and that meets the minimum requirements for running any of the enterprise products.  Qualified desktops do not include: (i) any computer that is designated as a server and not used as a personal computer, (ii) any system dedicated to run ONLY line-of-business software (e.g., an accounting or bookkeeping program used by an accountant, or a computer-aided design program used by an engineer or architect); or (iii) any system running an embedded operating system (e.g. Windows 9.x for embedded, Windows XP embedded);
“qualified user” means a person who accesses any Core CAL server software licensed within your enterprise. It does not include a person who accesses the software under an External Connector License.  It also does not include a person who accesses the software in some other way that does not require a CAL
 

Centennial recently launched an initiative called Centennial SAM Academy which is a demonstration of our commitment to help customers to get the most out of their investment in Centennial technology for specific solutions in this case Software Asset Management.

Technology has a role to play in a SAM solution but any customer expecting technology to deliver them SAM will be disappointed. SAM is about technology, people and procesess. We now have technology in market that will automate a lot of the tasks required to understand an organization’s software compliance position and to manage software compliance as part of a SAM solution but without sound processes to complement the technology there is a risk our customers will believe our technology has not delivered.

Centennial SAM Academy should help customers understand what processes they should adopt to ensure success with a Centennial based SAM solution and what SAM Partner services may be required to achieve success.

Centennial SAM Academy is a set of courses aimed at building a customers knowledge of SAM in general but also to give specific guidance using Centennial products in a SAM or compliance project.

The cornerstone of the Centennial SAM Academy is Centennial SAM Essentials .
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The UK’s National Consumer Council (NCC) has accused Microsoft, Symantec, Adobe, Apple and other software vendors of forcing customers to sign unfair license agreements. The NCC has cited 17 of the world’s leading software suppliers as having bad practices - effectively meaning that users end up with little legal rights and often don’t know the terms of conditions of the license until they have actually installed the software.

The NCC has asked the UK’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to launch an investigation.

Of 25 software products tested, 14 failed to mention on the packaging that users must accept a license agreement when installing the software. Only four of those that did provided a link to a copy of the agreement.

According to new research from Forrester, many organizations are still struggling with the complexities surrounding software licensing and pricing schemes.

The analyst  firm believes that Software as a Service (SaaS) and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) will help resolve some issues in the future, offering more alignment with customer business goals.

In the meantime, the message is clear that things are not going to change in a hurry and that businesses should make investments in technology and licensing expertise to mitigate any pain.