Licensing Agreements

[etoipi]

We're looking into upgrading our entire infrastructure over the next few years (we've got a three year plan to upgrade nearly every piece of hardware going), and I'm looking into licensing. Previously - we've licensed as we bought, but this time around we'd like to be a little bit quicker upgrading - we'll probably go for 7 / 2012R2 now, but want the flexibility to update Office / Windows more than the 2003 / XP we're on now.

 

We're going to be scrapping everything over the next few years - starting this year with Servers. I've had a brief look on Microsofts Educational Website but just wanted some help with the licensing options. Ideally - we want some form of licensing solution that would cover us for our server infrastructure (we're possibly going virtualised), Client PCs, CALs, and Office. We'd like the ability to not really have to 'think' about licenses - just have a master image, that we can put onto a new computer when we get it and just know that we're covered. Same with Office. Our FTE count is low, as is our number of students / computers.

 

Can anyone explain, slightly more simply than Microsofts website (which seems to like not actually linking to what it said it would!) what my options are and pros / cons of each? What has everyone found as the simplest to use?

 

Cheers.

[nwilkie]

Hi,

We use the MS agreement using full time equivalent numbers. This works out at around £30 per person but means we can license as many computers as we want. The agreement also entitles us to upgrades of the os we use. This is renewed annually over the 3/year fixed price.

We also add server licenses to the agreement and renew them every year. The god thing is we don't have to update the license count every time we get a new member of staff only when we renew. So sometimes it goes up and other times it goes down. Microsoft datacenter is also something I would recommend for licensing if you are virtualizing.

[nwilkie]

Also this includes the office programs. Cals and what not are also added to the agreement. It has saved me a load of money and headaches.