Microsoft Open Value Program

Microsoft Open Value is a premium volume licensing offer available under the Open License family. Designed for organizations with as few as five computers, Open Value offers simpler license tracking, greater control over the software upgrade cycle, and better software cost management.

Open Value also offers the advantages of Software Assurance (SA), which includes new version upgrades, technical training, user training, partner services, and product support. These benefits are available through the term of the agreement to improve software resource planning, ROI measurement, and IT professional and user productivity.

Microsoft Open Value and Microsoft Open Value for Government are comprehensive Microsoft Volume Licensing agreements designed for small- and medium-business (SMB) organizations with 5 to 750 desktop PCs that want a flexible and cost-effective way to acquire the latest Microsoft technology. Open Value and Open Value for Government provide simplified license management for more control over IT investments, better management of software costs through the advantages of Microsoft Software Assurance for Volume Licensing—which is automatically included—and company-wide and non-company-wide options.

Open Value and Open Value for Government Details

Market Segment
Open Value and Open Value for Government are available to qualifying commercial and government organizations. Eligibility definitions vary by region. Check with your regional Microsoft subsidiary if you have questions. To see whether an organization is eligible for Open Value for Government, review the Government Eligibility Definition.

License Type
Open Value and Open Value for Government offer perpetual licenses, which are everlasting and valid if the licensed product is being used in accordance with the license-agreement requirements. Open Value and Open Value for Government 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 (also known as subscription) licenses, review the Microsoft Open Value Subscription program and Microsoft Open Value Subscription for Government details.

Products Included
In addition to the two defined desktop platforms—Microsoft Professional Desktop Platform* and Microsoft Small Business Desktop Platform—Open and Open Value for Government offer 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:
Microsoft Office System License and Software Assurance Packs
Windows Desktop Operating System Upgrade License and Software Assurance Packs
Server License and Software Assurance Packs

For the company-wide option, customers must standardize desktop platform products on all desktop PCs across their organizations and must order licenses for all qualified devices that can run any of the chosen desktop platform products. Customers do not need to order licenses for the following only: computers that are used as servers; devices that contain an embedded operating system, such as thin clients and Pocket PCs; and devices that are used only for line-of-business applications, like a hotel management system.

All customers can acquire additional non-desktop platform products as specified in their license agreements. 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 Open Value and Open Value for Government.

Online Services
Microsoft Online Services is a set of services that can help you incorporate software-plus-services in your business and expand your offerings.
Download the most recent Microsoft Product List for Volume Licensing to see the Online Services that customers can subscribe to through Open Value and Open Value for Government. Customers can order Online Services when signing an Open Value or Open Value for Government agreement or at any time during the term of the agreement at a prorated cost. Customers may choose a one-year subscription on the initial order. At order renewal, they can continue a one-year subscription or align to their affiliate anniversary.
Organizations can subscribe to Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) services—including the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite and Microsoft Business Productivity Online Deskless Worker Suite services—and Windows Azure platform services through the subscription-based Microsoft Online Subscription Program (MOSP). There is a five user subscription license minimum requirement for the initial order. All new customers—including customers who have conducted a trial of the services and customers with an existing Open Value or Open Value for Government agreement—must agree to and electronically sign the Microsoft Online Subscription Program agreement. The agreement is not linked to their existing Open Value or Open Value for Government agreement.

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 Open Value and Open Value for Government and can be used immediately throughout the term of the license agreement.
Software Assurance benefits for Open Value and Open Value for Government 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 7 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
Open Value and Open Value for Government offer three acquisition options to help you meet the needs of your customers:
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 2007 Microsoft Office system or newer version licenses

Pricing
Contact your Microsoft authorized distributor for pricing information or generate a customer quote using Microsoft LicenseWise for Volume Licensing.
For commercial organizations, the total quantity of your customers’ qualified desktop PCs when they enroll in Open Value 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. Download the FAQ to learn more.)

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

Licensing Fulfillment
One media kit is shipped at no charge with the initial order of every product through Open Value and Open Value for Government. 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
Open Value and Open Value for Government offer 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
Open Value offers a three-year agreement term that begins when Microsoft has received the agreement and purchase order. Open Value for Government offers a one-year and three-year agreement term that begins when Microsoft has received the agreement and purchase order.

Open Value and Open Value for Government offer a single agreement for all Microsoft licensed products within a territory, including qualified affiliates in other countries.

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 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 agreement for Software Assurance only within 30 days of the expiration of the agreement.