The development period between major operating system versions often exceeds three years, requiring customers to renew their software assurance for another contract period, in order to get the next upgrade for free. Software assurance is what some people call upgrade insurance or version upgrade rights. Reduce software and services costs with rights to new software releases and costefficient upgrades. During the term of the upgrade assurance plan, you will have the peace of mind that you will be using the most uptodate version of the covered software. In addition to free software upgrades, software assurance provides many. To do this, they need to uninstall their windows 10 enterprise e3 e5 version and then deploy windows 10 ltsb.
Sa rights like mdop as mentioned, and special agreement rights like the ability to temporarily reassign a license for dr reasons. When a new version of microsoft office is released during the term of your agreement, your licenses are. I love directaccess, but its a bit silly to require enterprise licensing software assurance for it. Software assurance provides access to enterprise offerings and unique use rights to extend the windows experience across your organization. After paying for five years for a windows upgrade, the majority of microsoft software assurance customers never deployed it. If you are running an rds environment without software assurance on your office applications, your organisation could be vulnerable to largescale compliancy issues. Upgrade assurance plan purchasing the annual upgrade assurance plan for your new winzip software license is a smart choice. Software assurance upgrade benefits for licenses are automatic. Jun 14, 2016 microsoft provides helpful selfaudit tools and reports to quantify and assess software assurance benefit utilization, but you may need to engage your it department to ensure that you are not utilizing some of these rights e. With software assurance, the cals are also usable on the upgraded product.
Microsofts bill landefeld on software assurance changes. Software assurance is the microsoft program that gives corporate customers software upgrade rights and other benefits during a multiyear contract in exchange for a flat annual fee. Microsoft software assurance sa is a microsoft maintenance program aimed at business users who use microsoft windows, microsoft office, and other server and desktop applications. Microsoft sql server a deeper look continued flexera blog. Microsoft assurance software is a program that was introduced in 2002 to help users deploy and support microsoft windows, microsoft office and related server desktop applications. Existing software models and entitlements are updated with downgrade rights content. The status of software assurance on your configuration manager licenses, or equivalent subscription rights, on or after october 1, 2016, determines the branch you can install and use. We provide free product upgrades for every consumer software within a minimum period of 30 days purchase for personal usage products or 60 days purchase for corporate usage products depending on. Even if you cancel sa, you still have rights to those versions. For example, if a new version of a server product is available during the term of your coverage, your licenses are automatically upgraded to the new version. Software assurance benefits for windows include a core set of technologies, services, and use rights to help improve productivity, streamline software deployments, and reduce costs in a variety of ways across devices.
When its time to renew or upgrade your software, you only need to renew a license or install an upgrade once, rather than repeating the process across every machine and device. The challenge is what value a customer might be able to obtain from the upgrade rights, even in conjunction with some of the other software assurance benefits. Seth explains the benefits to software assurance and helps you. Software assurance customers automatically receive licensing rights that will allow them. You cant add software assurance to a license if 90 days have. So, if we purchase enterprise upgrades under vl without sa for windows 10 enterprise anniversary update, the license could be perpetual, but it would really be usable for for the support life of anniversary update 12 years. In the wonderful and confusing world of software licensing there seems to be some confusion between software assurance sa rights and software licensing rights, which comes to light when sa benefits expire and users arent sure what they are entitled to do at that time. Solved when is software assurance required with windows. You can use software assurance to upgrade your software for free. Software assurance benefits included with microsoft donations. Windows 10 enterprise with or without software assurance, an.
There are two different levels of support and service for you to choose from. Microsoft differentiates license and software assurance. If you upgrade from a oem version, it carries the rights of a oem version. If you choose not to renew your license agreement and continue your software assurance coverage, you may proceed with taking the training course as long as the course date begins within 180 days following the expiration of your software assurance coverage. The software comes with a 3 month manufacturers warranty and 12 months of complimentary software assurance see below for registration details. Apr, 2017 as you probably know, software assurance includes a benefit called new version rights. For a few server programs like system center you can only run the current branch if you have active software assurance. A base subscription that includes 8x5 access to technical support as well as software patch updates, hot fixes, and entitlement to major software releases. We consider it advantageous because the annual fee for the first three years is exactly one third of the price for an instant purchase, which comes without upgrades. What happens after my microsoft software assurance expires. Microsoft includes two years of free software assurance with most volume licensing products it donates through techsoup. Can we purchase an upgrade license through volume licensing. Rights to use configuration manager current branch can be provided by.
On the software entitlement form, there are new licensing types to support microsoft software assurance licenses microsoft upgrade licenses are upgraded to stepup licenses contentrelated upgrade information. The program covers microsoft technologies and services and includes new product version rights. Windows 10 enterprise features include all the capabilities that customers get with windows 10 pro, plus premium features designed to provide the mobile productivity, security, manageability, and virtualization needs of todays organizations. The advance software assurance contract has a minimum term of three years.
October 20, 2011, harri daniel, comments off on benefits of software assurance. The definitions section of microsoft product use rights further confirms that a. Software assurance is a comprehensive volume licensing program that includes a unique set of technologies, services, and rights to help you deploy, manage. Indicates benefits that may also be available to customers licensed for microsoft intune andor windows vda subscription. Is foregoing of software assurance the right option for your company. Licenses and software assurance must be assigned to a single user or device within the enterprise. The second thing is that if a new version comes out during your sa term you get you can upgrade to that version, and use the new version even after the sa expires.
Are my microsoft product licenses still valid after software assurance expires. What the difference between software assurance and licensing. We electively offer it as an alternative to an instant purchase. Under software assurance, customers pay an annual fee of 25% of the volumelicense fee for server products and 29% for desktop products to gain upgrade rights to products. How to use or renew your software assurance benefits techsoup.
Every license covered under software assurance may be upgraded to the newest version. Software assurance swa is defined as the level of confidence that software is free from vulnerabilities, either intentionally designed into the software or accidentally inserted at any time during its lifecycle, and that the software functions in the intended manner. Licensing and branches configuration manager microsoft. Volume licenses can be purchased with software assurance,a microsoft program that provides additional benefits beyond the core volume license including software version upgrade rights at no additional cost, a home use purchase program providing a significant discount for purchasing an additional license for home use e. Ten years ago this month, microsoft introduced the most controversial licensing program in its history. Software assurance by product microsoft volume licensing. Go to microsoft software assurance support page and click on submit request. Dec 23, 2014 as i have explained before, a software license is a set of rights granted to you by the manufacturer that governs how you use the software. Microsoft volume licensing frequently asked questions. Microsoft volume licensing microsoft software assurance.
Windows 10 enterprise with or without software assurance. Software assurance benefits help you take full advantage of your investments in it. Microsoft adds sql server disaster recovery use rights with. Entitlement summary for more details about software assurance entitlements through the mpsa, visit software assurance through mpsa. May 25, 2018 software assurance benefits were introduced by microsoft as a way of delivering greater value to its customer base outside of the commonly perceived version upgrade use cases.
What the difference between software assurance and. Stepup licensing enables your organization to upgrade from a lowerlevel software edition to a higherlevel edition at a low cost. With new version rights, you can upgrade each microsoft product license that is covered by active software assurance to the most recent version for no additional cost. Microsoft assurance software is a program that was introduced in 2002 to help users deploy and support microsoft windows, microsoft office and. A comprehensive program that includes a unique set of technologies, services, and rights to help deploy, manage, and use microsoft products efficiently, software assurance helps keep your business up to date and ready to respond quickly to change and opportunity. Select the product and problem for which you need support. What is software assurance and what benefits it provides. Sap maintenance and upgrade fees, which range from 1822%. Do microsoft customers really need software assurance.
Subscribers may upgrade to newer versions of their microsoft software. Software assurance benefits were introduced by microsoft as a way of delivering greater value to its customer base outside of the commonly perceived version upgrade use cases. Microsoft upping software assurance and cloud licensing. Software assurance is a collection of benefits for microsoft products. With new version rights, each microsoft product license that is covered by active software assurance can be upgraded to the most recent version for no additional cost. Software assurance customers have rights to the next version of a product as long as their software assurance coverage continues through the month of the availability of the product. For software assurance customers, eligibility to receive new versions of products is the earlier of either. Corporate users dump microsofts software assurance. Once software assurance for windows 10 enterprise e3e5 comes to an end, customers have a 90day grace period to switch their current installation to windows 10 enterprise ltsb. Customers with active software assurance sa on configuration manager licenses or with equivalent subscription rights as of october 1, 2016 have rights to use the october 2016 version 1606 release of configuration manager. I purchased a product license with software assurance coverage almost three years ago, and i want to renew my software assurance coverage now. Software assurance is often criticized for its expense and the lack of free software upgrades within the contract period. Software assurance by benefit microsoft volume licensing. Internal assignment of licenses and software assurance.
Gregor kneitz, who is a microsoft senior product manager for volume license programs will provide information about these benefits and will answer your questions about how to access it. The main objective of software assurance is to ensure that the processes, procedures, and products used to produce and. Frequently asked questions about frequently asked questions. You will not only receive the latest minor updates and bug fixes, but you will also receive major feature upgrades of the covered software product at no additional charge. Microsoft software assurance big risk for a small reward. Use consulting services to plan new, onpremises and cloudbased deployments. We recommend that you stay in touch with your microsoft reseller or microsoft account manager for news about new products and their availability.
Can i renew my microsoft software assurance benefits through the donation program. Microsoft software assurance what it is and how it. The customer may not use software under both licenses simultaneously. Licensing and branches configuration manager microsoft docs. Software assurance is a comprehensive program that includes a unique set of technologies, services, and rights to help you deploy, manage, and use microsoft products efficiently. Software assurance is for a specific amount of time, current to your select contract not when the software is purchased and allows you to upgrade to new versions for free.
Most large companies offer software assurance like a part of the licensing agreement. You cant, however, upgrade to versions that microsoft releases after your software assurance expires. Not every microsoft customer needs software assurance on all of the vendors offerings. The challenge with software assurance is that the core benefit has really been upgrade rights since microsoft introduced it in 2001. Solved software assurance mid 2018 windows 10 spiceworks.
For windows enterprise, you need software assurance to run anything but the ltsb branch, and it gives you a variety of other rights like the desktop optimization pack tools. Because the free upgrade is derived from the base qualifying license, windows 10 will carry that licensing too. Microsoft software assurance what it is and how it applies. For support outside this period or for the right to upgrade to a later release of software, a software assurance contract is required.
Software assurance has an annual cost of 29% of the license price for desktop products e. Customer may upgrade to and use software under a migration license in place of software covered by the qualifying license. Software assurance is mondagos software subscription and support program specifically designed to maximise the. These benefits include free software upgrades, office multilanguage packs, office suites for use at home, and more.
He said the name was misleading since it needs triggers to actually turn on. Software assurance coverage expires, may we still go to the training. The right to install the software on more than one machine. On the create an incident select a payment option page, select use my software assurance agreement. If you upgrade from a retail version, it carries the rights of a retail version. Improve operational efficiency through access to unique technologies. Do i own the licenses obtained through software assurance, and if so, what is the license term.
Type your software assurance access id and email address you use to access the vlsc and click continue. Sql server licensing mobility without software assurance. Software assurance for volume licensing includes a range of benefits. Microsoft volume licensing product licensing search. With software assurance, you receive access to new versions of licensed software released during the term of your agreement to deploy at your own pace. Software assurance benefits microsoft volume licensing. Microsoft software assurance what it is and how it applies to.
Should i buy software assurance with my microsoft licenses. This is probably the reason you bought sa in the first place although there are other good reasons to buy sa. The program covers microsoft technologies and services and includes new product version rights, technical and enduser training, deployment planning, and support. For instance, without software assurance, you wouldnt be able to use windows 2000 server cals on windows server 2003. New version rights simplifies the procurement process and shortens the business process cycle, allowing you to reduce the costs associated with acquiring new version releases and immediately. The spread payments and new version rights is the only thing that keeps me on software assurance. Software assurance for volume licensing offers a range of tools and resources to help your company deploy, manage, and maximize your volume licensing purchases. Microsoft software assurance sa is a microsoft maintenance program aimed at business. When a new version of microsoft office is released during the term of your agreement, your licenses are automatically upgraded to the new version. Software assurance is included with some microsoft products available through techsoup, but it can also be requested on its own. If you do not renew your license agreement and extend your software assurance coverage, you lose licensing rights to software acquired through the home use program.
The core premise behind sa is to give users the ability to spread payments over several years, while offering free upgrades to newer versions during that time period. Will we still have licensing rights to software acquired through the home use program after our software assurance coverage expires. What to know about upgrading to windows server 2016 with. Microsoft software assurance provides licenses for version upgrades. Software assurance often includes an additional set of rights that give you more freedom with the software. Microsoft offers a range of product specific benefits such as the ones outlined for sql server below in table 1 sql server software assurance benefits overview. Microsoft adds sql server disaster recovery use rights.
591 422 686 1411 81 406 46 774 593 1072 792 778 1292 1022 1302 1560 1276 801 946 88 833 11 1095 391 461 258 731 470 1195 798