Open License For Academic VLGuide PDF
Open License For Academic VLGuide PDF
Open License For Academic VLGuide PDF
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Open License for Academic Guide
Table of contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Licensing Windows Education Upgrade through Open License for Academic ........................................................... 3
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Open License for Academic Guide
Introduction
This guide provides information to help you understand the Microsoft Open License for Academic licensing agreement and
deploy and manage your software licenses. It is provided for informational purposes only. Your licensed product use is
governed by the terms of your licensing agreement. The Microsoft Licensing Product Terms document, which is updated
regularly, provides additional details regarding current products availability and use rights for specific Microsoft products
acquired through Volume Licensing programs. For a copy of the current Product Terms, please go to
www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/product-licensing.aspx.
Microsoft offers both “subscription” and “transactional” (also known as “perpetual”) Volume Licensing agreements for
education customers.
Subscription licensing
With subscription licensing agreements, you have the right to run a selection of products, and any upgrades or downgrades
of those products, for a designated term. For application, system, and Client Access License (CAL) products, even if the
number of computers or users grows, you remain fully licensed throughout the designated term, and you only need to report
increases on your annual order. Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES) is Microsoft’s core subscription licensing program
for educational institutions.
Transactional licensing
With transactional (perpetual) Volume Licensing agreements, you acquire perpetual software licenses (meaning your
institution has a perpetual, everlasting license) while eliminating the costs and packaging of retail software.
Microsoft has three transactional Volume Licensing programs for education customers: The Microsoft Products and Services
Agreement, Microsoft Select Plus for Academic, and Microsoft Open License for Academic.
The MPSA is a single agreement for both your Online Services and software transactional purchases across and organization.
It offers academic pricing (equal to Select Plus for Academic pricing) and can reduce the administrative overhead associated
with managing multiple agreements. It also covers multiple industries within your organization—such as commercial and
academic entities—under one agreement. Software Assurance is an optional purchase.
Select Plus for Academic is a transactional agreement for medium and large institutions with approximately 250 or more PCs.
Select Plus for Academic offers the advantages of a non-expiring agreement, the flexibility to acquire licenses as needed, a
single customer ID to streamline account management across multiple affiliates, and the ability to add value with a full 36
months of Software Assurance as an option. Unlike the MPSA, Select Plus does not include the ability to purchase Online
Services.
Open License for Academic is a widely accessible and cost-effective way for small education institutions to license Microsoft
software, starting with as few as five licenses. You simply determine the number of software licenses your institution wishes
to acquire and place the order with an authorized reseller. You also have the option to include Software Assurance with your
licenses. After obtaining licenses, you can download your software and license keys, or order installation media from a
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Open License for Academic Guide
Microsoft-approved fulfillment source for a fee. License confirmations are distributed electronically and posted on a
password-protected Internet site. Open License for Academic is the focus of this document.
Flexibility – Open License for Academic is flexible enough to meet the needs of a broad range of institutions. Customers
can choose from a wide selection of products and Online Services. After an initial order of five or more licenses, you may
place orders for as few as one license, so you order only what you need.
Availability – You can acquire Microsoft products through Open License for Academic from any Authorized Education
Reseller (AER).
Compliancy – You receive license confirmation information electronically and you can quickly and easily view your
license purchase history—so there’s never any question about what licenses you own.
Additional orders
There is no minimum requirement for additional orders, so you can submit orders for as few as one license and receive the
volume discounted price established by your Open License for Academic agreement.
Contract Term Two-year term begins with each new Two-year term begins with initial order only
order on a new authorization
number
Online Tracking Set up a new logon to view licenses Return to VLSC using current logon to view
online at Volume Licensing Service additional licenses purchases
Center (VLSC)
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Open License for Academic Guide
Parent/subsidiary and Parent or other related entity must Parent or affiliate may use same authorization
affiliate relationship place initial order to set price level number for reorders
Software Assurance Customer has full two-year coverage Customer length of coverage expires at the
from initial order end of the authorization number started with
the initial order
For newly manufactured PCs, the best way to acquire that license is to have the Original Equipment Manufacturer
(OEM) pre-install Windows on the PC.
If the OEM has not pre-installed Windows on the PC, then you can purchase a full Windows license through retail full
packaged product (FPP).
*Windows 10 Education Upgrade is only available with Software Assurance. For details about Windows 10 licensing, visit
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Licensing/product-licensing/windows10.aspx
If you discover that you have existing PCs that lack the necessary full license for a qualifying operating system, talk to your
Microsoft reseller about the Get Genuine Windows Agreement for Academic (GGWA-A). GGWA-A provides a simple, cost-
effective way for you to acquire full licenses for Windows to fulfill your requirement for a full qualifying operating system.
Once you have acquired the full operating system license, you are then eligible to license those PCs for a Windows Education
Upgrade through your Open License for Academic agreement. Learn more.
At the end of the subscription term, you can renew your Office 365 subscriptions either by submitting a new order through
Open License for Academic or by using the administration tools on Office365.com.
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Open License for Academic Guide
Adding users mid-term
You can add Office 365 users at any time. When you add users mid-term, the subscription term is divided and dispersed
among all users so that all subscriptions become co-terminus. For example, if you have two existing users with three months
remaining in their term and you add a third user, the 12 months for the new user is divided among the three users so that
their subscriptions co-terminate. This would be accomplished by truncating the new user’s term to six months and adding
three additional months to each of the two existing users’ subscription terms. This will ensure the simplest renewal
management for the administrator of the Office 365 subscription.
Once purchased, Software Assurance enables you to get technology advancements available through future version software
products released during the term of your Open License for Academic authorization number. This advantage also applies to
older version software, which offers you additional flexibility in deployment of solutions that meet your needs.
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Open License for Academic Guide
where time has passed after the initiation of an Open License for Academic, it may be advantageous for you to open a new
Open License for Academic agreement in order to receive the most value from your Software Assurance purchase.
Two-year authorization
number
Start of year 2
Acquire the License and Software Receive upgrades for the remainder of the term
Assurance package for any product any of the authorization number
time during the term
Software Assurance coverage is co-terminus with the Open License authorization number.
You may also acquire Software Assurance for the following license within 90 days of the license purchase:
System or server software product licenses acquired through retail full-packaged product (FPP) or from an original
equipment manufacturer (OEM)
The IT Academy membership is available through the Open License for Academic as a Subscription License and can be
acquired to license the entire institution or department.
License term
The IT Academy membership has the same expiration date as the term of the Open Authorization License number under
which it is licensed. The new order for IT Academy subscription under Open Academic will automatically start Open License
authorization number and set the term of the IT Academy subscription for two years.
Get more information about Microsoft IT Academy.
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Open License for Academic Guide
Managing Licenses with Volume Licensing Service Center
The Microsoft Volume Licensing Center (VLSC) is the portal for managing your licenses. You can:
Easily access a licensing summary that illustrates all entitlements by product and version
Glossary
Affiliates
A company or legal entity that owns, is owned by, or is under common ownership with the customer.
Authorization number
The number assigned to the customer by Microsoft after initiating an Open License for Academic account. This number
allows for reorders for two years.
A reseller that is authorized to sell Microsoft Academic Edition (AE) products to eligible academic customers.
Distributors
License
The license that grants a customer the right to run a Microsoft software product as specified in the product use rights.
The part number that combines the License and Software Assurance part numbers.
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation or any of its affiliates.
Open License
In relation to Microsoft Volume Licensing, Open License is a volume license program for customers with a need for as few as
five licenses. Open License refers to the rules and procedures of this acquisition option or to the software products acquired
and to the agreement that grants rights to use the products depending on the context.
Product Terms
A document listing all Microsoft products and their use rights available for acquisition under the Open License for Academic.
Product pools
Microsoft products available through Open License for Academic are categorized as applications, systems, and server
products.
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Open License for Academic Guide
Reseller
Software Assurance
This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT. This information is
provided to help guide your authorized use of products you license; it is not your agreement. Your use of products licensed under your volume license
agreement is governed by the terms and conditions of that agreement. In the case of any conflict between this information and your agreement, the terms and
conditions of your agreement control. Prices for licenses acquired through Microsoft resellers are determined by the reseller.
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