Microsoft Software Assurance

Microsoft Software Assurance is a comprehensive maintenance offering that helps you get the most out of your software investment. 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. With Software Assurance, you can increase worker productivity, accelerate organisational performance and quickly realise a return on your software investment.

New Version Rights
To stay current, customers receive rights to upgrade to new software versions released during their agreement periods.

Desktop Deployment Planning Services
Help large organisations assess and evaluate the business value of upgrading their Microsoft Office and Windows software, and deploy new versions more easily.

Information Work Solution Services
Help small and medium-size organisations understand and prioritise opportunities to maximise productivity from Microsoft Office servers and applications that leverage the capabilities of their IT infrastructures.

Windows Vista Enterprise
The Windows Vista Enterprise operating system - an exclusive version for medium-size and large organisations to address challenges such as protecting sensitive data, improving application compatibility, and simplifying IT management and deployment - includes all of the features of Windows Vista Business, plus Windows Bit-Locker Drive Encryption, four additional virtual operating system licences to use with Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, a Multilingual User Interface (MUI) and a subsystem for Unix/Linux-based Applications (SUA). Customers are entitled to one Windows Vista Enterprise licence for every Windows client licence covered under Software Assurance.

In addition, two add-on licences are available exclusively to Software Assurance customers to help extend the value of Windows Vista Enterprise - Desktop Optimisation Pack for Software Assurance, Windows Vista Enterprise Centralised Desktop.

Training Vouchers
Vouchers for technical training on selected courses delivered by Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions.

Microsoft E-Learning
Online courses enable users and IT professionals to learn new applications at their own pace, from almost any location, at anytime.

Employee Purchase Programme
Significant savings on suggested retail prices for Microsoft full-packaged products, which can help increase employee satisfaction.

Home Use Programme
Authorises employees to use their home computers to run the same Microsoft Office software installed on their work systems. Saves the full cost of a Microsoft Office Work-at-Home licence, and can help increase employee productivity and satisfaction.

Enterprise Source Licensing Programme
Software Assurance customers with 1,500 or more desktops may be eligible to licence Microsoft source code for internal-development or testing use.

24x7 Problem-Resolution Support
Access phone support for any Microsoft software, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The number of phone incidents granted is based on a customer's Software Assurance expenditure. Includes unlimited Web support on servers with Software Assurance coverage.

"Cold" Backups for Disaster Recovery
Provides complimentary "cold" backup server licences in the event of system failure for every production licence with Software Assurance coverage. Saves the full cost of a licence plus Software Assurance for each server.

TechNet Subscription Through Software Assurance
Customers with Software Assurance for server licences have access to TechNet benefits. Depending on their Volume Licensing programme and the products covered by Software Assurance, customers will receive either TechNet Software Assurance Subscription Services or TechNet Plus Direct.

Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
This small-footprint, Windows-based operating system solution is designed for customers with legacy PCs. It provides the same security and manageability as Windows XP SP2, plus a smooth migration path to the latest hardware and operating systems. Windows Fundamentals can help to postpone hardware upgrades and save associated costs, save on support, and increase productivity and security.

Extended Hotfix Support
Available for older software versions that have transitioned from Mainstream to Extended Support. Annual fees are now included as a benefit under Software Assurance and Software Assurance customers no longer need to sign up within 90 days of a product's transition to Extended Support.

For more information, please contact your account manager and ask to speak to a Microsoft Licensing expert within our Advanced Solutions Group.