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
 

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.

Microsoft announced this week that it has filed 52 cases against resellers in countries ranging from China to the Netherlands, the United Kingdom to the United States.

In 15 of the cases, Microsoft alleges that the software involved could be traced to a counterfeit syndicate that Chinese authorities and the FBI broke up this summer. Most of the illicit sales were made through e-commerce sites.

The software giant also unveiled a “Microsoft Buying Guide” on eBay as a tool for educating consumers about counterfeit applications. In addition, it maintains an information site with tips on how to detect pirated software.

Microsoft UK recently launch their Microsoft Software Asset Management Program, details for which can be found here.

It is a structured approach to implementing software asset managment with the assistance of on of Microsoft’s approved SAM Partners, a list of which can be also be found on their site.

At the end of the process the customer will get a certificate which will be valid for 12 months recognizing they have gone through the program and established their base line compliance position and should not expect to be contacted to undertake a Microsoft led audit over the next 12 months.

Be warned that any short fall of licences identified by this process will have to be addressed.