licensing options / advice for windows and office

[mrstrong]

Hi all,

 

we are currently on a 3 year Open Value Subscription (OVS) which ends this year.

It looks like we wont be able to renew this after it expires, e.g. from this Microsoft email I got:

 

Please note that the Open License program was discontinued as of January 1, 2022 and no renewals or orders will be accepted.

 

We purchased windows, office and cal licenses for around 60 users (mainly teachers).

Total cost around £3000 with the server cpu/core licenses too.

 

We also have the free Office 365 A1 Plus and got Microsoft 365 Apps "free" with the OVS.

 

If you include all staff we are probably close to 100 so maybe EES is an option now ?

but we are still around the 50 to 60 users who actually use a computer more than 50%

of their day.

 

We have a windows server domain and windows 10 1809 LTSC with Office pro plus 2016

all activated via MAK. Users access their files on teams/sharepoint, onedrive and the server.

 

There is a general push to move to teams/sharepoint, but some staff are reluctant and still

use the file server for everything! The kids don't use windows anymore: all chromebooks/ipads.

 

I was thinking of leaving this "as is", maybe just upgrading office 2016 pro plus to LTSC 2021

but using autopilot/intune with new laptops/PCs (i.e. Azure AD joined, not hybrid)

and going either "windows 10 22H2 with Microsoft 365 Apps" or

"windows 10 21H2 (LTSC) with Office LTSC 2021" on these new devices.

 

This would allow us to migrate "slowly" to fully cloud over the next 3 years.

 

Any thoughts / advice appreciated, esp. re how to license this !

[Steve21]

I thought that was Open License only, which isn’t OVS

 

Might be worth checking with your provider, but as a school I’d expect you to be on OVS so no rush to change

 

Steve

[mavhc]

Use onedrive to have your sharepoint library appear as files on the computer, then map the network drive letter to the same folder, now all your teachers are using sharepoint, tada

[DavR]

OVS agreements should be still available, we started a new one just this month.

 

Do you actually own your licensing outright, or do you just have the licenses which came with the machines? If you were using the OVS agreement, it's likely you were using that as a "top up" for certain things.

[mrstrong]

OVS agreements should be still available

 

interesting, I wonder why Microsoft sent us that email then?

 

We are definitely on Open Value Subscription (well that's what it says in VLSC under Relationship Summary under "Parent Program")

 

Do you actually own your licensing outright

 

Honestly don't know!

 

My understanding was as long as we buy machines with a windows version installed

we can upgrade it to education / enterprise etc. this is what I see in VLSC under license summary:

 

 

edit: missed off two cols e.g. unresolved quantity, all 0 apart from Windows Edu Per Device 11 Education is 60

 

Obviously I will contact some resellers but wanted to have a heads up of what our options

are in advance.

Edited April 27, 2023 by mrstrong

[mrstrong]

e.g. stick with OVS (if it is possible)

go with EES (would have to pay for 100 users though)

buy A3 for all 100 users but then that wouldn't cover server ?

[Steve21]

e.g. stick with OVS (if it is possible)

 

Yep! I guess you previously bought some perpetual back in yonder days

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/news/microsoft-open-license-program-changes

 

Please note: There are currently no changes to the Open Value or Open Value Subscription programs.

 

 

Your options for existing and new purchases after January 1, 2022 are outlined below.

 

Software Assurance - The Microsoft Open Value Subscription program doesn’t offer perpetual software licenses but is a lower-cost subscription that gives you rights to use the software during the agreement’s term and also includes Software Assurance.

 

Online services - If you want to purchase additional online services subscriptions, you can work with a partner in the Cloud Solution Provider program to purchase online services subscriptions or you can buy additional online services tokens through the Open Value program or Open Value Subscription program or from the Microsoft Store..

 

Steve

[DavR]

Honestly don't know!

 

My understanding was as long as we buy machines with a windows version installed

we can upgrade it to education / enterprise etc. this is what I see in VLSC under license summary:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68750[/ATTACH]

 

edit: missed off two cols e.g. unresolved quantity, all 0 apart from Windows Edu Per Device 11 Education is 60

 

Obviously I will contact some resellers but wanted to have a heads up of what our options

are in advance.

 

IIRC, as long as you buy machines with a Windows Pro (I think) license, then if you have a Windows product in your OVS subscription, that entitles you to an Edu/Ent upgrade. I think that might be what "Windows Edu Per Device 11 Education" on your agreement might be, but don't quote me on that.

 

Anything on there with 60 is probably your Full Time Equivalent (FTE) licensed product under the OVS agreement. Your FTE products allow you to use that item on as many devices as necessary across your school for the use of 60 FTE teachers (kids go free).

 

I'm not sure about the perpetual licenses, we don't currently have any. But my guess is everything you see there is an annual subscription through OVS.

 

If you don't have any existing perpetual licensing, then buying your licensing outright (especially the servers) will be quite pricey. We recently renewed our licensing, from a not dissimilar position to yourselves, and ended up getting a new OVS, plus a few sundry other items separately.

 

Your best bet is to talk it out with a licensing reseller though, Microsoft licensing is labyrinthian at the best of times.

[johnlevis]

OVS agreements are still available, with the 1 and 3 year options.

 

Feel free to get in touch

[mrstrong]

thanks, still a bit confused ?! ...

 

... but if I understand you both correctly it looks like best / cheapest option for us is going to be

taking out another 3 year OVS similar to what we have now?

 

Then as we move slowly to intune (azure AD joined devices) "co-existing" with on-prem AD domain

we can purchase additional licenses as required, e.g. probably intune and azure P1 (cheaper than a full A3) ?

 

I know another school that have got rid of server and gone fully cloud (autopilot/intune/azure) and everyone has A3

but as they are in a large academy they may get better pricing (e.g. via EES?).

 

In an ideal world I would like to do similar but don't feel I have enough knowledge on intune to take the plunge,

plus time constraints hence why I'm thinking of the above approach. E.g. putting some techie staff (guinea pigs!)

on intune/azure AD joined and seeing what issues they have I don't really want to use Azure AD Connect and

hybrid join if I can avoid it.

[johnlevis]

A 3 year OVS will protect your pricing for the next 2 renewals so that probably is the cheapest route. and you can add Intune/Azure AD P1 to your OVS agreement at any time, just bear in mind they will run for 12 months from activation so may not be in line with your OVS dates.

[DavR]

... but if I understand you both correctly it looks like best / cheapest option for us is going to be

taking out another 3 year OVS similar to what we have now?

 

I wouldn't like to say definitively, but, we were in a similar situation, and another 3 year OVS + a few extras was cheapest for us.

 

We looked at M365 A3, and that would have worked well if we'd gone completely serverless, but add on licensing the servers separately, and it was more expensive.

 

Microsoft EES - we didn't look at this route. Yes these have gone down from 1000+ users to 100+ as a minimum for entry, ask your reseller if this might be an option.

 

Link here for differences between EES and OVS - https://download.microsoft.com/download/3/9/0/39090891-52ff-46ec-aa21-57bbe61981aa/Volume_Licensing_Comparison_Academic_and_Partner.pdf

[ITGuyNW]

I'm sorting out our Microsoft licencing for the first time and I could do with some pointers.

 

Took it out in 21 and expires in 24.

 

I've had an email from Microsoft :

 

[TABLE=width: 90%]

[TR]

[TD=class: x_text, width: 100%, align: left]Thank you for choosing Open Value Subscription. The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your Agreement V******* will reach its anniversary date on 10-1.

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: x_text, width: 100%, align: left]You have elected to spread your payments over the term of your agreement. This is a reminder notification informing you to place your renewal order by 10-1 with your reseller Business IT support Team Ltd, so that you can receive an invoice to make your next payment. To help with your record keeping, we ask that you keep all Microsoft notices received during the term of your agreement.

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: x_text, width: 100%, align: left]Continued use of Microsoft software licensed under this agreement is dependent on the receipt of this order. If you have already submitted your order to your reseller Business IT support Team Ltd, we advise you to follow up to ensure that they submit this information to us on your behalf. Receipt of this order by Microsoft will ensure that you continue to receive the benefits of this program and maintain the right to use your deployed software and Software Assurance benefits.

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: x_text, width: 100%, align: left]Please take the time to carefully read the information below to evaluate your software use report and complete the next important steps:

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: x_text, width: 100%, align: left]

1. Carefully check the current number of desktops in your company.

2. Complete your Open Value Subscription renewal order.

3. Submit your completed renewal order details to your reseller Business IT support Team Ltd by the anniversary date.

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: x_text, width: 100%, align: left]For your reference, your agreement details and your software use are outlined on the following page. We are also including an order form for your renewal order which you can submit to your reseller Business IT support Team Ltd.

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: x_text, width: 100%, align: left]Thank you for doing business with Microsoft[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: x_textsirius, width: 100%, align: left]As referenced herein, “Microsoft” means the entity with which you have contracted.

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: x_text, width: 100%, align: left]Cc: Business IT support Team Ltd"

 

 

 

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

Is this something I have to do every year? or do we do nothing? or are they just pushing me to sign up ready for 24?

[filteringtech]

When I get "stuck" with licencing I always find talking to Phoenix helpful.

https://www.phoenixs.co.uk/2021/10/25/microsoft-ovs-es-agreement-for-schools/

[Steve21]

I'm sorting out our Microsoft licencing for the first time and I could do with some pointers.

 

Took it out in 21 and expires in 24.

 

I've had an email from Microsoft :

...

 

Is this something I have to do every year? or do we do nothing? or are they just pushing me to sign up ready for 24?

 

 

Yes annually. Your 21->24 would be the 3 year agreement, but you still pay/order annually with updated staffing figures etc

 

Steve

[jmak]

You can also shop around - you're theoretically tied into there years with MS, but you can buy it from any approved partner. Phoenix are a good place to start. John at VeryPC is also a great font of knowledge (on here as @johnlevis) Edited August 22, 2023 by jmak