Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/8885
JASON BACK SOFTCHOICE CORPORATION Overview of Microsoft Licensing G 20 iven the depth and breadth of Microsoft (MS) products and services in place in legal environments, many different decisions must be made to determine the optimal methods of licensing. The perception is that MS licensing rules are rather complex, and the information below will bolster your understanding of MS licensing to ensure your firm takes the best route for its particular needs. MICROSOFT PRODUCTS CAN BE PURCHASED THE FOLLOWING WAYS: • Full Packaged Product (FPP) is boxed, shrink- wrapped retail software that provides the least possible discount and may require paper license management. Best Practices in Licensing Agreements ILTA Report • Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) software may be preinstalled on the PC or server hardware and is tied to that device. The license cannot be migrated to another system at any time. • Volume Licensing (VL) refers to a set of licensing programs with various options based on purchase volume and desired upgradeability. VL pricing is more attractive than FPP. Other benefits include downgrade rights (rights to previous versions); more flexible deployment options, such as mass volume license keys, the ability to deploy certain applications to a secondary system for the primary user (e.g., MS Office on the user’s desktop and laptop), and software transferability.