Software Assurance in Volume Licensing Programs:
- Upgrade Rights: Provides access to new versions of software during the agreement.
- License Flexibility: Allows movement between cloud and on-premises environments.
- Training Benefits: Offers training vouchers for IT staff, enhancing skills.
- Support Services: Includes 24/7 support and problem resolution.
- Home Use Program: Employees can access software at home for personal use.
What is Software Assurance in Volume Licensing Programs?
Software Assurance (SA) is a comprehensive program offered by Microsoft to help organizations maximize the value of their software investments.
It is available through most Volume Licensing Programs and provides customers with tools, resources, support, and technologies to help them stay ahead of industry changes.
SA is particularly beneficial for organizations that want to streamline IT costs, enhance productivity, and gain access to the latest innovations.
With Software Assurance, companies benefit from ongoing value beyond just a software license. It includes everything from new software versions to additional services that simplify Microsoft products’ deployment, use, and management.
Example: Imagine a company that buys Microsoft Office through a Volume Licensing agreement. Without SA, they are entitled to use the product they bought.
However, with Software Assurance, they gain access to new Office versions during their agreement term without additional purchase costs.
They also get other features like deployment tools and technical support, allowing them to derive greater value from their initial investment.
Benefits of Software Assurance
Software Assurance offers a range of benefits that are designed to improve your business’s IT infrastructure and management capabilities:
- Access to the Latest Software Updates: Customers get access to the latest versions of Microsoft products, so they don’t need to worry about purchasing upgrades separately.
- Flexible Use Rights: Companies can move licenses between on-premises and cloud environments, allowing them to adopt hybrid models.
- Training Resources: It provides training vouchers that help employees stay up-to-date with current technologies, which can improve their productivity and skills.
- Planning Services: Assistance is provided in planning deployment, migration, and upgrades to ensure smooth transitions.
- 24/7 Problem Resolution Support: Companies can access professional support for critical issues, reducing downtime and speeding up problem resolution.
- Disaster Recovery: License Mobility through SA allows customers to use licenses in disaster recovery environments, ensuring business continuity.
Example: A mid-sized company purchases Microsoft 365 with Software Assurance. It utilizes the included training vouchers to upskill its IT staff, enabling it to effectively leverage new tools and improve internal workflows.
The company also benefits from license mobility, which allows it to establish a disaster recovery site using existing licenses.
Eligibility and Licensing Programs Offering Software Assurance
Software Assurance is available as part of several different Microsoft Volume Licensing Programs, such as:
- Enterprise Agreement (EA): Suitable for large organizations, EA includes Software Assurance by default. This means all licenses under an EA come with SA benefits.
- Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA): This agreement targets businesses that need flexibility and simplicity in licensing. Customers can choose to add Software Assurance to their licenses.
- Open Value Agreement: This is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses. Software Assurance is available as part of the agreement to provide additional value to SMBs.
- Server and Cloud Enrollment (SCE): This type of licensing is intended for businesses focusing on Microsoft server and cloud technologies. Adding SA can help maximize these investments by simplifying management and improving access to new features.
Example: A company with an Enterprise Agreement automatically receives SA with their licenses, while a small business using an Open Value Agreement may opt-in to get the added benefits of Software Assurance.
Key Services and Tools Available under Software Assurance
Microsoft’s Software Assurance includes several tools and services that help companies achieve better software implementation and utilization.
Below are some of the key services:
- Training Vouchers: Employees get access to Microsoft-certified training programs, which boost their skills in using Microsoft products.
- Planning Services: Experts guide deployments such as SharePoint, Teams, or Azure, helping customers make informed choices.
- Windows Virtual Desktop Access (VDA): Through SA, businesses can get Virtual Desktop Access rights, which allow users to access a Windows operating system from almost any device.
- Home Use Program: Employees can use Microsoft Office at home at a nominal cost, which can help increase familiarity with tools and productivity outside of the office.
- Step-Up Licensing: Software Assurance provides the option to upgrade to higher software editions, giving organizations a cost-effective way to move to more advanced capabilities.
Example: A manufacturing company with Software Assurance utilizes Planning Services to streamline its migration to Azure. Microsoft experts help the company define a cloud migration strategy, making the process smoother and more efficient while avoiding potential pitfalls.
Investment Considerations and ROI with Software Assurance
Software Assurance is not just an expense; it’s an investment in your organization’s future productivity and growth. Let’s discuss how to evaluate the Return on Investment (ROI) for Software Assurance in Volume Licensing Programs.
- Reduced Upgrade Costs: Since new versions of products are available at no extra charge, this means cost savings compared to standalone upgrade purchases.
- Downtime Reduction: With 24/7 problem resolution support included, your IT team can solve critical problems faster, thus minimizing downtime and its associated costs.
- Efficient Deployments: Planning Services can significantly cut the time it takes to deploy new technologies, which means faster time-to-value for your IT investments.
- Increased Employee Productivity: The included training resources mean your employees are better prepared to use Microsoft products efficiently, which can increase productivity across the organization.
- Scalability: Licensing with Software Assurance gives you options to scale up as your business grows without additional costs or major disruptions.
Example: As data needs grew, a healthcare company used Step-Up Licensing to move from SQL Server Standard to SQL Server Enterprise Edition. Because it had SA, it could upgrade without paying the full license fee, saving it significant costs and enabling it to efficiently meet growing data demands.
Real-World Examples of Software Assurance in Action
To understand how Software Assurance benefits organizations, let’s look at some real-world examples:
- Healthcare Industry: A healthcare provider used Microsoft Planning Services to deploy Microsoft Teams across their clinics. The structured deployment ensured that data remained secure and staff could be trained efficiently. Additionally, training vouchers allowed all medical staff to understand and utilize the new technology effectively, ensuring a successful rollout.
- Educational Institution: A university with an Open Value Agreement opted for Software Assurance. They used Home Use Programs to provide Microsoft Office to faculty and students. This initiative significantly improved campus digital literacy and allowed the seamless use of Microsoft tools for educational activities.
- Financial Services: A financial services firm used Disaster Recovery Rights under Software Assurance to ensure their SQL Server setup had a failover cluster without buying separate disaster recovery licenses, saving considerable costs while protecting their mission-critical data.
Flexibility and Hybrid Environments
Flexibly managing software across on-premises and cloud environments is crucial in today’s technology landscape. Software Assurance addresses these needs with the following:
- License Mobility: With License Mobility through Software Assurance, companies can deploy their server applications on shared third-party cloud infrastructures, such as Microsoft Azure. This is especially useful for companies transitioning to cloud-based solutions but still relying on some legacy on-premises software.
- Hybrid Use Rights: Software Assurance provides hybrid benefits, which let businesses utilize their existing on-premises licenses in the cloud. This creates a seamless hybrid environment that is both cost-effective and easy to manage.
Example: A law firm that has traditionally maintained an on-premises server farm decides to move some of its infrastructure to Azure.
Using License Mobility, they can utilize existing SQL Server licenses in the Azure environment without needing additional licenses, making the migration process smoother and more economical.
FAQ On Software Assurance in Volume Licensing Programs
What is Software Assurance in Volume Licensing Programs?
Software Assurance provides access to new software versions, training, and deployment planning services through Microsoft’s Volume Licensing.
Which benefits does Software Assurance offer?
It includes access to upgrades, technical support, training, and tools for efficient software management.
Can organizations upgrade their software with Software Assurance?
Yes, Software Assurance allows access to the latest software releases without additional costs.
How does Software Assurance support training?
It offers instructor-led training and self-paced e-learning for IT staff and end users.
Is Software Assurance available for all Microsoft software?
Software Assurance is available for a wide range of Microsoft products through Volume Licensing programs.
Does Software Assurance provide technical support?
Yes, it includes 24/7 technical support for fast issue resolution and troubleshooting.
What licensing programs include Software Assurance?
It is available through Enterprise Agreements, Open Value, and other Volume Licensing Programs.
Can Software Assurance help with cloud adoption?
It includes planning services to help organizations transition to cloud services like Azure.
How long is Software Assurance valid?
It typically lasts for the Volume Licensing agreement, which can be 1 to 3 years.
Are home use rights included with Software Assurance?
Yes, Software Assurance includes Home Use Program rights, allowing employees to install Office on home devices.
How can Software Assurance help with deployment?
It offers deployment planning services to assist organizations with implementing and managing software.
Does Software Assurance support virtualization?
Yes, it provides tools and licensing for virtualization, helping organizations optimize their infrastructure.
Can organizations renew Software Assurance?
Yes, Software Assurance and the Volume Licensing agreement can be renewed to maintain its benefits.
Does Software Assurance include upgrade protection?
It allows organizations to upgrade to the latest software versions during the agreement term.
How does Software Assurance benefit organizations financially?
It helps manage costs by providing access to software updates, support, and services under one agreement.
