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Get More for Your Money Software Assets and Maintenance

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Section One 1Making the Most of Your Software Assets

Section Two 3Software Assets and Maintenance

Section Three 5The Benefits

Section Four 11The Maintenance You Need

Section Five 13Access Your Benefits

Further Information 15

Contents


Section OneMaking the Most of Your Software Assets

Maximising Your Assets

People often view hardware as the real asset in an IT

infrastructure. After all, it is accounted for and is clearly

visible on desks across your organisation. But of course

hardware is only part of your business solution, as it is of

little use without software.

So although it’s easy to overlook software, it is one of your

key assets. More and more people are beginning to see the

very real business advantages of viewing software as an

asset, they might not appear on the balance sheet,

but they certainly add value and productivity to any kind

of business. Software is supporting you everywhere, from

communications to business processes to operational

efficiency, so it makes good sense to take care of your

software assets and maximise their capabilities.

This guide is designed to help you explore and determine

the true value of your software. From deployment, training

and support requirements, we show you how to maximise

your assets and where to secure the services your

organisation really needs.

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This guide gives you a clear, informative view of software as an asset and shows you how to

gain advantage by expanding the breadth of your solution. We look at all the key areas, such

as procurement, maintenance and support.

Section Two: Software Assets and MaintenanceThis section is all about viewing your software as a real asset

and how to realise the full potential of your organisation’s

chosen solution.

Section Three: Explaining theBenefits of Software AssuranceHere we introduce you to the Microsoft® software

maintenance programme, Software Assurance.

We explain the programme’s benefits and what

they could do for your organisation.

Section Four: The Maintenance You NeedWhich Microsoft Volume Licence Agreement includes

maintenance? Which ones give you the option to add

maintenance? We answer the key questions and show

you how to obtain the solution that fits.

Section Five: Access Your BenefitsFinally we show you how to take full advantage of the

benefits available to you, how to access them and how

to deploy them successfully in your organisation.

Where you see this icon we provide a link in the

text to relevant further information on the Web.

At the back of the guide you’ll find a page

of contacts for further information.

What’s inside?


Section TwoSoftware Assets and Maintenance

AssetsBuying software is different from other purchases because

you are acquiring the right to use it rather than owning it.

This right of use is still very much an asset however.

The software you choose enables you to use your hardware,

without which your systems could not run. Software is

therefore a vital business component.

If you look at software in this way, you can broaden your

vision to how to obtain the full potential of your solution.

Let’s explore the application itself. Many software packages

today have much more to offer than is immediately obvious.

E-mail solutions, for example, can contain collaboration

services and multimedia connectivity. Also the realisation

of a solution is, not surprisingly, in its usage; users need to

understand and use its functionality in order to obtain

maximum benefit from the asset. We have therefore

identified that beyond the obvious need for rapid

deployment and effective execution of the application,

we also need to consider training and support if we are

to obtain maximum benefit from our total solution.

MaintenanceAs previously highlighted above, software is a key asset

within your organisation, and if treated as such, you can

achieve greater productivity and return on investment.

A software maintenance programme should therefore

include both your of business and technical needs.

For example, to maintain and protect your software

investments, you’ll need to provide a software licence

procurement solution. You will want to ensure that you can

deploy your software quickly and efficiently, and that your IT

staff and users have the training to ensure smooth

integration in your business. You need to be able to support

your solution long term on a daily basis. You also need to be

compliant and ensure good governance practices.

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Diagram 1: Maintenance needs to address both business and technical needs.


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Section ThreeExplaining the Benefits of Software Assurance

Microsoft’s maintenance programme is

called Software Assurance. Its purpose is to

help you get the most from our products,

by offering a range of benefits, covering

support, tools, productivity and training.

Here we outline the key business benefits

and what they bring to your organisation.

Easier BudgetingSoftware Assurance can bring greater flexibility to your

technology expenditure. Traditionally, customers have

purchased their software in bulk with an upfront payment,

but clearly this has major accounting and budgetary

drawbacks. Spreading the payment for software over

fixed terms allows IT Managers and Finance Directors to

stabilise this equation and have a fixed spend every year.

Quite simply, we can help you forecast annual software

budgets up to three years in advance.

Spread Your Payments

By spreading payments annually, you can ‘freeze’ your

licence price and plan your software budget up to three

years in advance. In addition, we offer the ability to ‘own’

the licences, lease or ‘rent’ for even greater software

acquisition choice.

Efficient Deployment and AdministrationAs we’ve mentioned before, a maintenance programme

such as Software Assurance should address business and

technical requirements. Support and tools are included with

Software Assurance, making it easier for IT professionals to

deploy and administer new product versions, updates and

other content across your desktops and servers.

Desktop Deployment Planning Services

For large organisations, Desktop Deployment Planning

provides the fundamental analysis, business case, process

and technical procedures necessary to execute a thorough

desktop deployment project and to maximise the return on

your software investment. The Desktop Deployment

Planning Service provides expert advice delivered through

a series of strategy and technical sessions tailored to your

business needs.

Information Work Solution Services

Microsoft can deliver expert advice aimed specifically at

small to medium sized businesses looking for the maximum

return from their software investments. The Information

Work Solution Services provide a highly effective approach

for increasing the impact that individuals and teams have on

their business. The advice is delivered through workshops

that enable you to turn practical information into positive

action immediately.


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24x7 Problem Resolution Support

With Problem Resolution Support you can always reach

Microsoft when you need to. Business critical phone support

is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all Microsoft

Server products, Microsoft Windows® and Microsoft Office

system. You can also benefit from unlimited web support*

for all server products covered by Software Assurance,

giving you the right level of support whenever you need it.

Now you can make cost savings and boost efficiency:

Fewer hours of support or incidents purchased as part

of subscriptions to Microsoft support programmes

Shorter Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) for

technical issues

Improved server to support staff ratios

Increased uptime

*Web response is limited to business hours

TechNet Plus

This is a resource subscription service for IT staff, featuring

a knowledge database, utilities, drivers and ‘how-to’ articles.

The media is supplied as a kit and is updated every month.

TechNet Plus Subscription Media includes beta software

access and evaluation copies of the latest applications.

Also included is TechNet Online Concierge Chat, which

enables IT staff to post messages to managed newsgroups,

helping them quickly locate information needed to

troubleshoot technology issues.

Giga Research found that it can reduce the numbers of

IT people needed to manage Microsoft servers, through

improved server to support ratios. It can also replace

TechNet costs for customers who were previously paying

for that service.

Discussions with customers who have TechNet Plus suggest

that it can reduce both the number and the average cost of

internal Microsoft related support calls by 10 percent, the

latter through improved MTTR.

Windows Pre-Installation Environment

Windows Pre-Installation Environment (WinPE) is a tool

based on Microsoft Windows XP Professional that allows

you to speed up the deployment of the Windows operating

system to the desktop.

WinPE allows IT staff to build custom solutions through

automation and spend less time and effort keeping

desktops updated. It can run Windows setup, scripts and

imaging applications.

Using WinPE can cut the amount of support needed,

reduce calls to the help desk and reduce business risks

associated with deployment errors.

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Corporate Error Reporting (CER)

This is a tool that allows IT staff to see the information

captured every time an end user experiences an error

on the Microsoft platform. End users who have experienced

problems in the past have had to submit information

directly to Microsoft without notifying the onsite IT support.

CER gives control back to the IT department. All information

captured from a problem is kept within a database that

internal IT personnel can scrutinise and only send to

Microsoft if they need to.

CER lets IT staff map solutions to crashes by helping them to:

Identify which systems are failing and why

Connect to up-to-date knowledge and fixes

Act on information when escalation is required

Benefits include a reduction in the number and length of

help desk calls, the ability to spot trends, increased uptime

and preventative maintenance.

Enterprise Source Licensing Programme

With the Enterprise Source Licensing Programme (ESLP),

eligible customers with 1,500 or more licensed desktops

can access Microsoft Windows source code for internal

development and support. Your IT staff can customise Windows

and related applications, and implement improved debugging

to help maintain security and protect against viruses.

Cold Backups for Disaster Recovery

If you have Software Assurance and related Client Access

Licences, you are entitled to cold backup server licences,

used in disaster recovery. Essentially, a cold server only

activates when a disaster occurs and is not used for any

other processing. It is real ‘peace of mind’ technology and

makes sure that business as usual is always maintained.

Windows Vista Enterprise

Specially developed for larger organisations, Windows Vista

Enterprise lowers your deployment and management costs.

It includes features such as data protection for lost or stolen

PCs, application compatibility and gives you the ability to

deploy a single image in multiple locations around the world.

Virtual PC Express

Virtual PC Express supports a single instance of a virtual

operating system running on top of the host operating

system and provides a safe and protected way for you to

migrate legacy applications during an operating system

upgrade, through improved application compatibility.

It also enables access to critical legacy applications after an

operating system upgrade – even when those applications

cannot be modified to run the new operating system.

Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs

Designed for customers with legacy PCs and running legacy

operating systems, who are not in a position to purchase

new hardware, Windows Fundamentals gives you the same

security and manageability as Windows XP SP2, whilst

providing a smooth migration path to the latest hardware

and operating system when it’s convenient.

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Extended Hotfix Support

You can enter into Extended Hotfix Support Agreements

(EHSA) as hotfix issues arise. Annual fees and required sign

up periods associated with EHSA are included in the

Software Assurance Agreement. Peace of mind and reduced

support costs are part of the package (a Premier or Essential

Support Agreement is a prerequisite for eligibility).

Greater Productivity through Training and SupportNot only does Software Assurance provide your employees

with the latest software, but it also offers the right training, so

they can take full advantage of the most advanced technology.

New Version Rights

Software Assurance gives you access to the very latest

versions of our software that is released during your

agreement. You can simply upgrade as and when it suits

you. Benefits include simplified procurement, a shorter

business process cycle and reduced software costs.

eLearning

eLearning uses a mixture of professionally developed,

streamed audio and video software demonstrations,

practical exercises and animations. Users can take classes

whenever they wish and although designed mainly for

end users, eLearning can also prove very useful for IT staff

to learn about unfamiliar Microsoft applications.

Clearly your staff become more IT literate, but benefits

also include fewer helpdesk calls, reduced training costs

and even lower staff turnover – the link between training

investment and employee satisfaction is a strong one.

There are over 30 eLearning classes available to Software

Assurance customers, and the number is always increasing.

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Training Vouchers

We provide Training Vouchers for Software Assurance

customers with desktop software. These can be redeemed

with any Microsoft Partner for learning solutions. Designed

for IT professionals and developers, the vouchers allow your

technology staff to study on Microsoft curriculum courses.

It means they will be prepared for deployment, contribute

to smoother migration and up to speed with the latest

Microsoft technology. The competitive advantage is clear.

Take the Workplace Home With Software Assurance, employees can work from home

with a licensed copy of select Microsoft Office desktop

programmes installed on their home computer.

The Home Use Programme

The report ‘Microsoft Licensing: More for the Money’,

published in February 2004 by Giga Research, says that

employees with access to the office from home increase

productivity by an average of almost two hours per week.

With the Home Use Programme, you can bring this

productivity increase to your organisation. The Home Use

Programme allows each of your Microsoft Office licensed

employees a copy of selected Microsoft Office desktop

programmes to use on their home computer. This provides

a facility to work but also the freedom to use productivity

tools for personal use and the family. Many organisations

now include this scheme in their employee benefits package.

Employee Purchase Programme

The Employee Purchase Programme offers your

employees real discounts on Microsoft’s most popular

products, including Xbox® games.

Using the same software at home and at work provides

flexibility and can also help to build loyalty and IT literacy

amongst your employees.

Eligible products are purchased directly through a secure,

Microsoft hosted eCommerce site.


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Volume Licence AgreementsThe majority of Microsoft business software is bought

through a Volume Licence Agreement such as Open,

Select or an Enterprise Agreement. These are designed

to enable customers to buy their Microsoft software

easily. Our maintenance offering, Software Assurance

is an extension to these agreements, some of which

automatically include it.

If you are a Select or Open Licence customer, you can

choose to purchase Software Assurance at the start of your

agreement. As a Select customer, you also have the option

to become a Software Assurance Member (SAM) which

entitles you to more benefits. Select SAM enables you to

designate a product category such as applications,

operating system or server for Software Assurance

membership. This means that any licence acquired

within the designated product category also has

Software Assurance.

Whichever licence type you decide on, Software Assurance

will give the right to the latest version at any time during

your agreement. Please ask your reseller for more information

on Software Assurance, so that you can take full advantage

of its benefits.

Benefits vary according to whether your licences are for

desktop or server equipment. Please see the diagram on the

opposite page for details.

Your Guide to Features Availablewith Software AssuranceThe chart opposite gives you a quick, clear guide to what

is available with Software Assurance acquired through a

Volume Licensing Programme.

Section Four The Maintenance You Need


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Boxed and Pre-installed SoftwareYou can add Software Assurance to the licences on a new

computer within 90 days of buying it, as long as your computer

has the latest Microsoft Windows Professional, Office or

Server software pre-installed from your OEM supplier.

Contact your reseller and ask about enrolling your software

in a Volume Licence Agreement. Take a look at the Further

Information section for more on finding a reseller.

You can also visit:www.microsoft.com/uk/licensing/software-assurance

Lifecycle Stage

Plan

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Use

Maintain

Transition

Benefit Open Licence, Academic Open

Select Licence,Academic Select

Open ValueOpen Value

Company-wide andSubscription

(plus OSL and MYOprogrammes)

Campus & SchoolsAgreement, Academic

Select SAM

Select with SoftwareAssurance Membership, Enterprise Agreement,Enterprise Agreement

Subscription

New Version Rights •

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Spread Payments

Desktop Deployment Planning

Information Work SolutionServices

Windows PE

Windows Vista Enterprise

Virtual PC Express

Extended Training Vouchers 2006

eLearning

Home Use Programme

Employee Purchase Programme

Enterprise Source LicensingProgramme

24x7 Problem Resolution Support

Corporate Error Reporting

Cold Back Up for Disaster Recovery

TechNet Plus

Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs

Extended Hotfix Support 2006

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* Not included with Academic Open and Select programmes** Open eligible for the spend based phone incidents, but not eligible for unlimited phone support or ‘base’ phone support.


Section FiveAccess Your Benefits

Access Your BenefitsMany of our UK customers are already benefiting from

the features of Software Assurance. They are easy to

activate and demand minimal investment for such

significant potential returns.

Where to Access Your BenefitsTo access information about your licences you will need

your agreement number and a licence number.

For licences bought through the Open Licence programme,

use the online tool eOpen. For all other agreements,

including Open Value, Select and Enterprise, simply

use the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service (MVLS).

For further information on managing your licences visit:www.microsoft.com/uk/solutions/manage

How to Access Your BenefitsWhen you buy a licence agreement from your reseller,

we will contact your organisation through the Notice

Contact, a person who has agreed to receive information

from Microsoft. To activate your benefits, the Notice

Contact will receive an e-mail explaining how to register

for Software Assurance.

If this e-mail doesn’t arrive or you needto change your Notice Contact, get intouch with your reseller and ask them to send us a ‘change request’.

You can also call the Software Assurancesupport line on 0800 917 9016.

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Once your agreements are registered, your Notices

Contact can delegate the activation and administration

of the benefits to someone else, i.e. become the

Benefits Administrator.

Your Benefits Administrator can:Access your Software Assurance benefits online

Maintain the benefits profiles and administer

the programmes

Activate each benefit, and register the employees

who will use it

They don’t necessarily have to be a member of the IT

department. For example, Human Resources may want

to activate our Home Use Programme, while your IT

department may want to access the live chat service,

TechNet Concierge.

You can even delegate benefits administration to a reseller.

Ask your reseller about how they can help.

For information on how to maintain your

benefits, please refer to the Benefit

Administrator User Guide, which can also be

found on the MVLS website.

The comprehensive Software Assurance Customer Guide can be downloaded

as a Word document from: www.microsoft.com/uk/licensing/software-assurance/guides

Step-by-step instructions on activation of Software Assurance benefits

can be found online at: www.microsoft.com/uk/licensing/software-assurance/access

You can download Microsoft Licensing in Five Easy Steps, a comprehensive guide

to Microsoft licence agreements at: www.microsoft.com/uk/licensing/introduction/guide

A regularly updated list of approved Microsoft resellers can be found online at:

www.microsoft.com/uk/licensing/buy

If you have questions about any of the information contained in this guide,

please call us on: 0800 917 9016

Alternatively send us your queries by e-mail to: [email protected]

Further Information


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©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Windows and the Microsoft logo are either registered trademarks ortrademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Registered Office: Microsoft Limited, MicrosoftCampus, Thames Valley Park, Reading, RG6 1WG. Registered in England no 1624297 VAT no GB 7245946 15.

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