What is Microsoft Open Value?

Microsoft Open Value is a comprehensive Microsoft Volume Licensing program designed for small and midsize organizations with 5 to 250+ desktop PCs that want a flexible and affordable way to acquire the latest Microsoft technology. The Open Value program provides simplified license management for more control over IT investments and better management of software costs through the advantages of Microsoft Software Assurance for Volume Licensing, which is automatically included. The Open Value program offers company-wide and non-company-wide options.

The Open Value program is available to qualifying commercial and government (Open Value for Government) organizations. Eligibility definitions vary by region. Check with your regional Microsoft subsidiary if you have questions. To see if an organization is eligible for Open Value for Government.

License Type

The Open Value program offers perpetual licenses, which are everlasting and valid if the licensed product is being used in accordance with the license-agreement requirements. Open Value program customers own their licenses and have perpetual use of the licensed products under their agreements as of the time the licenses are acquired. For nonperpetual (or subscription) licenses, review the Open Value Subscription program details.

Products Included

In addition to the two predefined desktop platforms—Microsoft Professional Desktop Platform and Microsoft Small Business Desktop Platform—the Open Value program now offers a customized “build your own platform” model that will help give customers the flexibility they want without increasing complexity. Customers can mix and match products from the three desktop platform groups:

Windows Desktop Operating System Licenses

Windows Vista Business operating system upgrade license (with upgrade rights to Windows Vista Enterprise)

Microsoft Office System Licenses  

• Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 license includes licenses for Microsoft Office Access 2007, Microsoft Office Communicator 2007, Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007, Microsoft Office Publisher 2007, Microsoft Office Word 2007, Advanced Information Rights Management and Policy Capabilities, Integrated Electronic Forms, and Integrated Enterprise Content Management.
• Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 license includes licenses for Office Access 2007, Office Communicator 2007, Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Office Groove 2007, Office InfoPath 2007, Microsoft Office OneNote 2007, Office Outlook 2007, Office PowerPoint 2007, Office Publisher 2007, Office Word 2007, Advanced Information Rights Management and Policy Capabilities, Integrated Electronic Forms, and Integrated Enterprise Content Management.
• Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 license includes licenses for Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2008, Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager, Office PowerPoint 2007, Office Publisher 2007, and Office Word 2007.

Server Client Access License (CAL) Suites

• Microsoft Core CAL Suite includes a Windows Server 2008 operating system CAL, a Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Standard CAL, a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Standard CAL, and a Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 configuration management license.
• Microsoft Enterprise CAL Suite includes a Windows Server 2008 CAL, Exchange Server 2007 Standard and Enterprise CALs, Office SharePoint Server 2007 Standard and Enterprise CALs, Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Standard and Enterprise CALs, a Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 configuration management license, a Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 operations management license, and Windows Server 2008 Rights Management Services. Also includes a subscription license for the Microsoft Forefront Security Suite, which includes subscription licenses for Microsoft Forefront Client Security, Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server, Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint Server, Microsoft Forefront Security for Office Communications Server, and Microsoft Forefront Online Security for Exchange.
• Windows Small Business Server 2008 CAL Suite includes a Windows Server 2008 Standard CAL, an Exchange Server 2007 Standard CAL, and a 120-day trial subscription license for Forefront Security for Exchange Server and Windows Live OneCare. Compatible with Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Windows Server Update Services 3.0 Service Pack 1, and Microsoft Office Live.
• Windows Small Business Server 2008 CAL Suite for Premium Users or Devices includes the Windows Small Business Server 2008 CAL Suite as well as a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard CAL and an additional Windows Server 2008 Standard CAL.
• Windows Essential Business Server 2008 CAL Suite includes a Windows Server 2008 Standard CAL, Exchange Server 2007 Standard CAL, a Microsoft System Center Essentials 2007 client management license, a Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway Medium Business processor license, a Forefront Security for Exchange Server subscription license, and a Web Antimalware Subscription for Forefront Threat Management Gateway Medium Business subscription license. Compatible with Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.
• Windows Essential Business Server 2008 CAL Suite for Premium Users or Devices includes the Windows Essential Business Server 2008 CAL Suite as well as a SQL Server 2008 Standard CAL and an additional Windows Server 2008 Standard CAL.

Software Maintenance Options

Microsoft Software Assurance for Volume Licensing is a comprehensive maintenance offering that helps customers get the most out of their 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 included for every license acquired through the Open Value program and can be used immediately throughout the term of the license agreement.

Software Assurance benefits for the Open Value program extend across the software life cycle and cover planning, deployment, testing, usage, maintenance, and migration processes. Benefits include New Version Rights, Spread Payments, Desktop Deployment Planning Services, SharePoint Deployment Planning Services, Exchange Deployment Planning Services, Business Value Planning Services, Windows Vista Enterprise, the right to subscribe to the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance, Training Vouchers, Microsoft E-Learning, Employee Purchase Program (company-wide option only), Home Use Program (for Microsoft Office system license and Software Assurance packs), 24×7 Problem-Resolution Support, Cold Backups for Disaster Recovery, TechNet Subscriptions Through Software Assurance, and Extended Hotfix Support.

Licensing Offerings

• License and Software Assurance packs at the time of license acquisition
• Software Assurance renewals (prorated to the prior anniversary)
• Software Assurance 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

Pooling

For commercial organizations, the total quantity of your desktop PCs when you enroll in the Open Value program determines their price level for licensed products under the corresponding product pool:

• No Level: 5 -249 desktop PCs
• Level C: 250 or more qualified desktop PCs (This price point is available to your commercial Open Value company-wide and Open Value Subscription customers.

The Open Value for Government program provides qualifying government organizations the same benefits that the commercial Open Value program offers, combined with government-appropriate pricing.

Licensing Fulfillment

One media kit is shipped at no charge with the initial order of every product through the Open Value program. Subsequent orders of the same product will not include a media kit. Media kits for new versions of each product released during the duration of the license agreement are automatically shipped to the customer. If customers wish to acquire additional media kits, or would like media kits for software products not in the initial order, they can acquire them separately, for a fee, in selected markets. Customers can download licensed products for no additional charge at the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC).

Learn about Digital by Choice-a fulfillment option that enables Open Value and Open Value for Government customers to reduce their environmental impact, access their software updates faster, and reduce the time and effort spent managing physical media. Encourage your eligible Open Value and Open Value for Government customers to end their disk kit shipments and begin downloading their licensed software products and updates directly from the VLSC.

Payment Options

The Open Value program offers two payment options:

• Pay the full amount at the time of order.
• Spread payments annually over the term of the agreement for license and Software Assurance packs or Software Assurance only.

Agreement Term

The Open Value program offers a three-year agreement term that begins when Microsoft has received the agreement and purchase order. To better align with government procurement requirements, a new one-year agreement term was added on October 1, 2008, for Open Value for Government customers in addition to the existing three-year option.

The Open Value program offers a single agreement for all Microsoft licensed products within a territory, including qualified affiliates in other countries.

How to Order

• Initial order. For most licensed products, customers who choose the non-company-wide option must acquire a minimum of five license and Software Assurance packs, one processor license and Software Assurance pack, or one MSDN subscription license and Software Assurance pack. Download the most recent Microsoft Product List for Volume Licensing to see the Open Value program minimums for all Microsoft software products. For the company-wide option, customers must acquire a minimum of five license and Software Assurance packs for one of the desktop platform products for all qualifying desktop PCs in their organizations. To qualify for Open Value Level C pricing, customers must license company-wide with a minimum initial order of 250 desktop PCs. Customers can order Software Assurance for licenses with current or expiring Software Assurance at any time during the Open Value program agreement. For company-wide product licenses, customers may only renew Software Assurance at the start of the agreement. The standardization on which the company-wide option is based assumes that customers order Software Assurance for the number of qualified desktop PCs at the initiation of their Open Value company-wide agreement, even if the licenses are already covered with Software Assurance through another agreement that has not yet expired.
• Additional orders. Subsequent orders can be made until three years after the initial agreement and can be as small as one license and Software Assurance pack. The price protection that comes with the Open Value program company-wide option means that the price for desktop platform product license and Software Assurance packs will not change for the term of the agreement. In addition, acquiring additional licenses in the second and third years costs less because Software Assurance is prorated annually. Customers can install and use licensed products on additional desktop PCs as soon as needed, but they must place new orders for additional licensed products when installing and using the products.

Order and License Tracking

When the accepted agreement and the initial purchase order are received, Microsoft will publish an order confirmation, including the authorization number and license number, to the password-protected VLSC within 24 hours, reflecting the updated license status. Customers 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

At the end of the three-year Open Value program agreement, customers have the option to extend their agreement for another three years. Or customers can reinstate their Software Assurance benefits by starting a new Open Value program agreement for Software Assurance only within 30 days of the expiration of the agreement.