Jul
14

Software Assurance Packaged Services

By Gerry V

In the “product off years” at Microsoft (no new OS, no new Office), internal focus often shifts to other components of Software Assurance that can add value to the investment since there is no compelling argument for upgrade rights. It is no surprise then that 2008 is bringing us new choices in what Microsoft calls “Packaged Service Offerings.”

In a nutshell, these are Microsoft-funded consulting packages provided to SA customers at no charge, with the goal of allowing those customers to explore new technologies for deployment at their Enterprise. The newest is SDPS – or –SharePoint Deployment Planning Services. SDPS provides the client with bundles of consulting days for anywhere from 1 to 15 days (length is driven by size of licensing agreement) where a certified Microsoft Partner will provide anything from Requirements Gathering for a SharePoint Deployment right up to a full-blown Pilot on site. Springhouse consultants are currently engaged in a number of these and the initial feedback has been outstanding. If SharePoint is anywhere on your radar, consider opening the discussion to see if your enterprise qualifies for SDPS.

SharePoint Deployment Planning Services Chart

Considering a migration to Office 2007? Springhouse is working with Value Prism and Microsoft to beta test Microsoft’s latest packaged Service, Office System Business Value Planning Services – or - OSBVPS. The idea of this bundle is to help customers identify, unlock, and capture the business value of Office System.  This service will deliver a current state process analysis, future state process design, a high-level business case for the proposed solution, as well as a high-level adoption/implementation plan and a proposal for additional services to implement the solution.  The Springhouse team will engage some candidate enterprises at no charge for this service in the coming months. Please reach out immediately to gvogler@springhouse.com if an Office 2007 migration/implementation is under consideration to learn more.

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Filed Under Microsoft, SA Benefits, SharePoint Designer, Software Licensing |

Jan
12

OEM Licensing – a Whole Lot of Misconceptions

By Gerry V

OEM, or “Original Equipment Manufacturer,” Software Licensing is one of the most commonly misunderstood licensing structures and is often the Achilles’ heel of many an enterprise compliance audit.

The fundamental concept behind OEM licensing is that a computer workstation or server is functionless with some kind of operating system running it. That said, when your hardware vendor or reseller sells you a workstation, it includes a license of the operating system du Jour (here’s a challenge to prove my point, try to purchase a pc from say, Dell or Gateway, without an OS…). The licensing violation usually takes place at the end of the hardware’s life cycle – Enterprise X retires a workstation because of slow processing speed or some other hardware limitation but assumes they have a perfectly viable version of Windows XP that can be transferred to that old Windows NT box they’re using down in Shipping and Receiving… not so fast ! The OEM license was attached to that original piece of hardware and cannot be transferred without violating the EULA. Wait a minute, didn’t we purchase the OS when we bought the workstation ? The answer is, “sort of.” OEM licenses that ship with new computers are often sold at a deep discount and therefore not considered transferable.

Ultimately your best friend in navigating the hazardous waters of licensing is your Large Account Reseller, or LAR. A good LAR is well versed in the rules of the various licensing programs and has a sincere interest in helping their clients become and remain client. For a deeper discussion of LAR’s and a short list of recommended ones, email me at gvogler@springhouse.com.

Filed Under Desktop Education, Microsoft, SA Benefits, Servers & Infrastructure, Software Licensing |

Nov
16

Changes in Software Assurance Voucher Program

By Gerry V

Over the course of my blogging, I have extolled some of the training benefits available to our clients that happen to subscribe to Software Assurance as a component of their licensing agreement with Microsoft. Today, Microsoft has announced some key changes that effect the redemption time-line.

Beginning November 11, 2007, SA training vouchers will expire depending on whichever of these comes first:

(a) Expiration of Software Assurance coverage, or

(b) Six months (180 days) from issue date. This means training vouchers can no longer be used after the agreement expiration.

This is a major change from the original structure that allowed activation of vouchers any time during the license period creating a 180 day life from that point forward, conceivably extending the voucher window 6 months beyond the last day of the agreement. For more information, I recommend visiting this link.

Filed Under Desktop Education, General, SA Benefits, Technology |

Nov
13

Eeeek - another acronym ? DDPS and SAM…

By Gerry V

That’s all that technology professionals need, another acronym to learn… more importantly, even when we know the acronym, what is the concept behind it ? DDPS stands for Desktop Deployment Planning Services, yet another service offering from Microsoft that provides software versioning migration planning and SAM (that’s Software Asset Management) as a component of their Software Assurance.

The process is relatively simple - the enterprise identifies a Microsoft Certified Partner that is certified in DDPS to conduct the audit - usually taking 2-5 business days of auditing and consulting. The resulting deliverable identifies a standardization plan and upgrade path that is tied (ideally) to corporate culture and objectives. Yes, this is somewhat of a “fox watching the hen-house” scenario since the Partner conducting the audit is paid by Microsoft for their investment of hours. The consulting hours are not the real attraction to the partner/vendor, in their case, the real upside is the potential sales opportunity of both licenses and services required to actually complete the prescribed upgrade.

Ultimately, DDPS is a valuable free service for any enterprise committed to a desktop upgrade/migration as long as the clients take the time to understand the results and ask the proper questions after the fact.

Filed Under Excel, InfoPath, Microsoft Access, Office, Outlook, PowerPoint, SA Benefits, Visio, Word |

Oct
22

Software Volume Licensing - yeah, it’s important…

By Gerry V

2007 has seen the launch and maturation of a number of exciting new product lines, especially from Microsoft – new versions of SharePoint, Project Server, Office to name a few, that offer genuine increased functionality and business value. As enterprises see this value, new implementation and migration initiatives are launched, it makes sense to review licensing requirements to remain compliant and current. Read more

Filed Under General, Microsoft, SA Benefits, Technology |