Microsoft OVS Government

MICROSOFT OPEN VALUE SUBSCRIPTION FOR GOVERNMENT
Low Up-Front Costs and High Value
Microsoft® Open Value Subscription for Government is for small to midsize eligible government organizations with at least five desktop PCs that want a flexible and affordable way to subscribe to the latest Microsoft technology—programs, operating systems, and servers. You also receive the training, support, and benefits through Software Assurance that help ensure you get the most out of your IT investment. Open Value Subscription for Government can make it easier for you to manage licenses, control your investment, and better manage your software costs.

With Open Value Subscription for Government, you pay a single price per desktop PC to deploy Microsoft technology as the standard across your organization. This option gives your organization the rights to use the licensed software throughout your organization only during the term of the agreement with Microsoft. Open Value Subscription for Government also has the lowest up-front costs of the Open Programs (Open Value, Open Value Subscription, and Open License).

Open Value Subscription for Government includes Microsoft Software Assurance, a comprehensive maintenance offering that helps you realize a positive return on your software investment.

Open Value Subscription for Government offers the following benefits:
An Easy Way to Manage Licenses
• You get a single agreement for all Microsoft licensed product within a territory or a country, including qualified affiliates.
• You can upgrade at any time—no need to track versions or open new agreements.
• You can transition new original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and retail full package product (FPP) licenses onto your agreement by purchasing Software Assurance within 90 days of your purchase.
Ability to Take Control of Your Expenditure
• With the Software Assurance New Version Rights benefit, you receive rights to new versions of licensed products to set up at your convenience.
• Software Assurance offers benefits such as Training Vouchers and 24x7 Problem Resolution Support so that you can take advantage of training and support to help you set up your new software.
• You can upgrade licensed product organization-wide with the Company (Organization)-wide option.
More Licensing Flexibility
• Open Value Subscription gives you a single platform option so that you can choose components from the Windows® Desktop Operating System upgrade, the Microsoft Office System, and Client Access Licenses (CALs) under a single platform for every desktop PC in your organization.
• By choosing the custom platform option, customers with the Company (Organization)-wide option can mix and match the available enterprise products to create the most relevant technology combination for your organization.
• Downgrade rights provide use rights for multiple product versions rather than only on the latest version.
• You can also choose Microsoft’s latest offerings in midsize business solutions with Windows Essential Business Server.
• You can easily register and access all the information you need about your agreement if your organization requires it.
• A one-year Open Value Subscription option is available for eligible government organizations, so they can choose between a one-year and three-year term.

Better Management of Your Software Costs
• Spread out payments with the Software Assurance Spread Payments benefit, which reduces up-front costs and helps you forecast annual budget requirements with predictable annual payments.
• You have rights to new software version releases with Software Assurance New Version Rights to help you lower the costs of acquiring software licenses. These rights can also help make acquiring and forecasting licenses easier. Company (Organization)-wide licensing provides additional savings.
• Eligible government organizations have a single price level regardless of the number of licenses (minimum five licenses).

SAVE MONEY BY ADDING A PLATFORM LICENSE
The platform license is a single license, per desktop PC, for common Microsoft licensed products. You can add a platform license to Open Value Subscription for Government and get additional savings. The platform option provides the simplest desktop PC license management solution because you do not need to track which version is installed on which desktop PC.

Professional Desktop PC Platform
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007
Core Client Access Licenses (CALs) Suite for Windows Server®, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007; Configuration Management License for Microsoft Systems Management Server
Windows Vista® Enterprise operating system upgrade
You can also choose Microsoft’s latest offerings in midsize business solutions with Windows Essential Business Server. If your organization requires Microsoft’s enterprise solutions, Microsoft Office Enterprise Edition, Enterprise CAL (ECAL) Suite, Essential Business Server CAL, and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) are available.

MAGNIFY VALUE WITH SOFTWARE ASSURANCE
Microsoft Software Assurance is a comprehensive maintenance offering that helps you get the most out of your software investment. Included with Open Value Subscription for Government, 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 can help you increase worker productivity, accelerate organizational performance, and realize a return on your software investment.

MANAGE LICENSES ONLINE
The online Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) tool provides convenient online solutions for Volume Licensing customers to easily manage licensing agreements and products. The VLSC is a password-protected Web site that you can use to track and manage your software licenses and Software Assurance benefits. The VLSC helps you reduce the administrative costs of manually tracking licenses.
With the VLSC, you can:
• Quickly receive authorization to deploy software and download directly.
• Easily access your license agreement and Product Use Rights (PUR).
• Make online updates to license contact information.
• Review your order history, license status, Software Assurance benefits, and other details.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM OPTIONS
In addition to Open Value Subscription for Government, Microsoft has other programs for small to midsize government organizations.
Microsoft Open Value for Government, Company (Organization)-wide Option
The Open Value Company (Organization)-wide option provides annual spread payments and the low long-term costs to acquire perpetual licenses. This option features:
• Additional savings on company-wide licenses as with Open Value Subscription.
• Count your desktop PCs at the beginning of the agreement and on the agreement anniversary to determine your annual cost.
• Pay for new licenses in the month they are installed. You can spread the costs throughout the remaining years of your agreement.
At the end of the three-year agreement, you have two options. You can either renew for another three years, paying only for the Software Assurance, with continued rights to the latest software versions and other benefits. Or, you can end your agreement and own the licenses for the most current software versions.
Microsoft Open Value for Government, Non–Company (Organization)-wide Option
The Open Value Non–Company (Organization)-wide option is available for any software license purchases and is a good solution for adding licenses to an existing Open Value Subscription or Open Value Company (Organization)-wide agreement. If you need licenses for servers or for a limited amount of desktop PCs, you can open a Non–Company-wide agreement.
Microsoft Open License for Government
Microsoft Open License is for government organizations that want a pay-as-you-go program. Because you pay for licenses as you need them, you get the flexibility to grow your licensing with your organization's increasing and changing business needs. You must have a minimum initial purchase of five licenses, but you can acquire additional product licenses through Open License in any quantity at any time during a two-year period. You can also add Software Assurance to an Open License for Government Agreement. In cases where time has passed after the initiation of an Open License, it may be more cost-effective for you to open a new Open License for Government Agreement to receive the most value from your Software Assurance purchase.
SUMMARY
The Microsoft Open Value Subscription for Government Program can simplify how your organization manages its software licenses, giving you more control over your IT investment. With Open Value Subscription for Government, all of your Microsoft software licenses can be covered under a single license agreement, helping you better manage your software costs and comply with government mandates. Open Value Subscription for Government also offers the flexibility of a one-year term option. You can also gain the advantages of Software Assurance to get the most out of your software through benefits that can help save time and money and help increase your organization’s productivity.