What is Microsoft Open License?

Microsoft Open License is a transactional Microsoft Volume Licensing program designed for small and midsize organizations with a minimum of five desktop PCs who want to pay as they go. The Open License program provides a flexible, cost-effective way to acquire the latest Microsoft technology to meet your needs and procurement procedures, and it provides the option to include Microsoft Software Assurance for Volume Licensing, the comprehensive maintenance program from Microsoft.

Market Segment

The Open License program is available to qualifying commercial, academic (Open License for Academic), charity (Open License for Charities), and government (Open License for Government) organizations. Eligibility definitions vary by region.

Open License is a good choice for organizations that want to acquire at least five licenses with one license agreement for all orders; prefer to pay as you go; appreciate the advantages of Volume Licensing, such as downgrade rights and easier license management; do not mind paying up front for their software licenses; want increased savings over retail prices; want the option to acquire licenses without having maintenance automatically added; want the flexibility to grow with evolving business needs; and want easier compliance management with electronic license management. In addition, qualifying customers who need a large volume of software can use pools and points to acquire licenses with additional savings and an established price level for additional acquisitions over the agreement term.

License Type

The Open License program offers perpetual licenses, which are everlasting and valid if the licensed product is being used in accordance with the license-agreement requirements. Open License program customers own their licenses and have perpetual use of the licensed products under their agreements as of the time the licenses are acquired.

Products Included

Download the most recent Microsoft Product List for Volume Licensing to see the wide selection of Microsoft software products (application, system, server, and services) available for the Open License program.

Software Maintenance Options

Microsoft Software Assurance for Volume Licensing is a comprehensive maintenance offering that helps you get the most out of your technology investments. It combines the latest software with phone support available 24 hours a day, partner services, training, and IT tools that help customers deploy, manage, and migrate software. Software Assurance benefits vary with each Volume Licensing program. In addition, server licenses come with benefits that are different from those for desktop licenses.

Software Assurance is an additional option under the Open License program. You can acquire a license and Software Assurance pack for the remaining balance of the term of the Open License authorization number. You pay for Software Assurance in two-year increments, regardless of when it was acquired. In cases where time has passed after the initiation of an Open License program agreement, it may be advantageous to open a new Open License program agreement to receive the most value from the Software Assurance acquisition.

Software Assurance may also be acquired on its own within 90 days of retail full-packaged product or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) acquisitions of system or server software product licenses, or OEM acquisitions of Microsoft Office 2003 or newer version licenses.

Software Assurance benefits for the Open License program extend across the software life cycle and cover planning, deployment, testing, usage, maintenance, and migration processes. Benefits include New Version Rights, Windows Vista Enterprise, Microsoft E-Learning, Home Use Program, 24×7 Problem-Resolution Support, Cold Backups for Disaster Recovery, and Extended Hotfix Support.

Licensing Offerings  

Licenses only

License and Software Assurance packs at the time of license acquisition

Software Assurance renewals

Software Assurance acquired on its own within 90 days of retail full-packaged product or OEM acquisitions of system or server software product licenses, or OEM acquisitions of Microsoft Office 2003 or newer version licenses

Licensing Fulfillment

The Open License program does not include media kits. You can download licensed products for no additional charge at the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). You can also acquire media separately, for a fee, from Microsoft or their authorized distributor in selected markets.

Agreement Term

The Open License program offers a two-year agreement term that begins when Microsoft has received the agreement and purchase order. The agreement is non-renewable.

How to Order

Through RedLegg of course!

Initial order. You must acquire a minimum of five licenses to enter the Open License program. The license for some products qualifies as meeting the initial order requirement. Qualifying customers who need a large volume of software can use pools and points to acquire licenses with additional savings and an established price level for additional acquisitions over the agreement term. Points are calculated based on three product pools (applications, systems, and servers), with a minimum entry acquisition level of 500 points in at least one product pool. Each licensing offering (license, Software Assurance, and license and Software Assurance pack) is assigned a specific point value to determine price levels. Download the most recent Microsoft Product List for Volume Licensing to see the point value for each software and product technology available for the Open License program.

Additional orders. After the initial order, you can benefit from volume pricing for all licenses for the remainder of the term of their Open License program authorization number. The Open License program agreement term covers an order authorization, during which customers may acquire additional licenses without having to initiate a new license agreement. The reorder minimum is one license, license and Software Assurance pack, or Software Assurance throughout the license-agreement term.

Order and License Tracking

Microsoft publishes an order confirmation, including the authorization number and license number, to the password-protected VLSC within 24 hours, reflecting the updated license status. You may track and monitor licenses easily and conveniently and download and install licensed software through the VLSC. Upon acceptance of the agreement, the customer contact identified on the enrollment will be provided access to the VLSC, where he or she can find any required volume license keys, SKUs, product descriptions, and quantities for the products ordered. Customers need an authorization number, a license number, and a Microsoft Live ID or Passport ID to access the VLSC.

Agreement Renewal Options

Open License program agreements are nonrenewable. Customers may start a new Open License program agreement or other Volume Licensing program agreement at any time. The Software Assurance for all licenses in an agreement ends when the agreement term ends, regardless of when the Software Assurance was acquired. Customers can reinstate their Software Assurance benefits by starting a new Open License program agreement for Software Assurance only within 90 days of the expiration of the agreement.