Benefits of Microsoft's Software Assurance - Sujata Computers Pvt Ltd

Hello!

Lot of Indian customers are using Microsoft licensed products but are not aware of what those products are fully capable of doing for them and for their businesses in terms of productivity. We at Sujata Computers Pvt Ltd feel sad when we see organizations investing lakhs and crores of rupees in Microsoft technologies but not making their optimum use.

Microsoft themselves sell support services called 'Software Assurance' i.e SA which can be bought along with any product license of Microsoft, of course at some additional 20-30% of the license cost.

Why You Should Consider Software Assurance (SA) For Your Organization?

There are below benefits of buying Software Assurance along with the product license -

1. New software versions - You get product version upgrades at a free of cost when SA subscription is alive. For example, if you are using Windows 8 and Microsoft launches Windows 9, you can download and start using Windows 9 without paying a penny from your pocket.
2. Planning services where you get onsite consulting services to create a deployment plan when you are getting ready to deploy new software. This service is available for desktop products (Office & Windows), SharePoint, Exchange and OCS. You can also use Business Planning services to help you get more efficiency out of your software solution.
3. Training vouchers for technical, classroom training to help you keep your IT staff up to date. The number of vouchers that customer will get depends upon the number of license and the type of product license. Training vouchers can be redeemed with the help of Sujata Computers Pvt Ltd.
4. E-Learning is online training to get your users trained on new software to prepare for a new software implementation, or to help them be more productive on current software.
5. Home Use Program (HUP) provides a license of Office, at a minimal cost, to employees for their home computers allowing them to become more proficient with the software they use at work, when they are using it at home. Microsoft takes the support calls for the home use licenses so it can also help reduce the support calls going to your IT staff.
6. 24x7 phone and web support to help you keep your IT infrastructure up and running. Customer gets number of support calls depending on number of license and type of product license bought. Each call is worth around $500.
7. TechNet for Software Assurance subscription to provide a community of information for all of your IT issues and questions.
8. Microsoft Office Multi Language Pack, which enables you to deploy a single image of Office with support for 37 languages.
9. Licensing programs like OVL, Select Plus, EA allows you to step up the license edition so as to standardize your infrastructure. For example, you can use Office Professional Plus edition (highest edition available) over Office Standard if you have purchased SA along with Office Standard.
10. You get an access to Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) which Sujata will help you deploy. MDOP is a set of technologies help manage PCs and make deployments across the network easy.

Do note that entitlement to above benefits will depend on the licensing program under which SA is to be purchased. Details of which licensing program gives what benefits given in below image.

We recommend our customers to take trainings, to take our help in implementation even if their own IT team is capable of doing things. Please contact us.

Click here to download the quick start guide of Microsoft on Software Assurance.

Click here to find an interactive guide to Microsoft Software Assurance (SA).

Anything Else Customer Should Know About Software Assurance (SA)?
Yes. Below things -

1. Software Assurance is valid for 2 years, it is optional for customer to renew it thereafter.
2. Whatever is the latest version of a product customer has installed, he can still use it after the expiry of SA. It is then recommended to renew the SA.
3. The only way to purchase Windows Enterprise desktop OS license is to purchase Software Assurance along with eligible Windows editions license.

Licensing Program Under Which Software Assurance (SA) Can Be Bought -

• Open license (MOLP) - One-time purchase. Software Assurance is optional in most of the products, only in some products SA comes bundled. It is a permanent/perpetual license.
• Open Value License (OVL) - 3 years contract with price locking. After 3 years, license become permanent / perpetual and SA renewal is optional. SA is built-in along with license.
• Select Plus - 3 years contract with price locking and bulk discounts. quantity purchase commitments required. SA is optional to purchase in this contract. Recommended when you have equal or more than 250 users and if you don't mind singing agreements.
• Enterprise Agreement - 3 years contract with price locking and bulk discount. quantity purchase commitments required. SA is built-in along with license. Recommended when you have equal or more than 250 users and if you don't mind singing agreements.

How To Buy It?

Talk to us to decide which program to select if license and SA is to be bought.
Some products come bundled with Software Assurance, for example, Visual Studio Premium, Visual Studio Ultimate, Office365 etc. And for some products you need buy additional SKU along with the license to get the benefits of Software Assurance.

You can buy SA along with OEM license or Volume License. If you have bought only license already, you can add SA within 60 days of it (as of now).

Best regards
Paresh Lodha
Sujata Computers Pvt Ltd
+91-7276000222