Microsoft to Change Software Licensing and Upgrade
Procedures
Current Users Need to Decide What to Do by July
Microsoft,
which has previous offered a number of licensing options -- often including
inexpensive upgrades, is changing the way it licenses software to volume users,
such as the Lab. As a result, Lab buyers of Microsoft Office, Project, Windows,
Visio and other software will need to decide whether to pay an additional
support fee to cover upgrades. Users who do not pay this additional fee will not
be able to purchase upgrades as they have in the past. Their only options will
be to continue using the original version, or pay full price for the new
version. Additionally, current licensed users of Microsoft software have until
June 30 (Visio, MS Project, MS Advanced Server users) or July 31 (Windows or
Office users) to pay the additional license fee for future upgrades of software
packages now in use.
According
to Microsoft, the cost of this additional “Software Assurance” will be 29
percent of the original software price. As a result, the Lab’s Computing
Infrastructure Support Department is
recommending that employees who keep their computers for three to four years
and whose jobs do not require them to consistently have the latest version of
Microsoft products not buy the additional Software Assurance. The reasoning is
that after about three-and-a-half years, the Software Assurance cost would be
about the same as buying the original package.
Microsoft
has posted extensive information on its licensing Web page
(http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/Default.asp) about this new way of selling
software. Especially helpful are the Overview of Software Assurance (http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/sa/sadefined.asp)
and Licensing 101 (http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/overview.asp)
sections. All licensees who wish to participate in Microsoft’s Upgrade
Advantage (UA) or Software Assurance (SA) programs must purchase before the
following dates:
Office
or Windows: Purchase before 7/31/02.
See the chart below to determine which option is appropriate for your
particular version:
|
Existing Product/Version |
MS Purchase Plan SA=Software Assurance
UA=Upgrade Advantage
|
Support included? |
Cost |
|
Windows
95, 98, NT 4.0 |
Purchase
upgrade license with SA |
2
years |
$291.00 |
|
Windows
2000, XP |
Purchase
SA |
2
years |
$107.00 |
|
Windows
95, 98, NT 4.0, 2000, XP |
Purchase
Windows upgrade plus Office Professional (includes SA) |
3
years |
$542.73 |
|
Office
97, 2000 |
Purchase
UA |
2
years |
$282.00 |
|
Office
2001, MacX |
Purchase
SA |
2
years |
$202.99 |
|
Office
for Mac (versions prior to 2001) |
Purchase
UA |
2
years |
$287.75 |
For more details about the Microsoft Upgrade Advantage/Software Assurance program, see the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/partner/Licensing/openlicensing/
Visio,
Project, Advanced Server: Purchase before 6/30/02.
See the chart below to determine which option is appropriate for your
particular version:
|
Existing Product/Version |
MS Purchase Plan SA=Software Assurance
UA=Upgrade Advantage
|
Support included? |
Cost |
|
Project
- Non-current versions (i.e. 97) |
Purchase
UA |
3
years |
$258.75 |
|
Project
- Current versions (i.e. 2000) |
Purchase
SA |
3
years |
$199.05 |
|
Visio
Professional – Non-current versions (i.e. 2000) |
Purchase
UA |
3
years |
$233.10 |
|
Visio
Professional – Current versions (i.e. 2002) |
Purchase
SA |
3
years |
$149.40 |
|
Visio
Standard – Non-current versions (i.e. 2000) |
Purchase
UA |
3
years |
$120.75 |
|
Visio
Standard – Current versions (i.e. 2002) |
Purchase
SA |
3
years |
$92.85 |
|
Windows
Advanced Server – Non-current version (i.e.
NT Server Enterprise Edition) |
Purchase
UA |
3
years |
$1,953.60 |
|
Windows
Advanced Server – Current version (i.e.
Windows 2000 Advanced Server) |
Purchase
SA |
3
years |
$1,166.10 |
|
Windows
Server – Non-current version (i.e.
Windows NT Server) |
Purchase
UA |
3
years |
$602.10 |
|
Windows
Server – Current version (i.e.
Windows 2000 Server) |
Purchase
SA |
3
years |
$358.80 |
For more details about the
Microsoft Upgrade Advantage/Software Assurance program, see the following
link: http://www.microsoft.com/partner/Licensing/openlicensing/