[windows software] School agreement questions

[Quackers]

Having read countless threads on the subject of MS Schools agreement licensing this morning, i think i am more confused that i was when I started, part of it I think is due to when the posts were made and things changing.

 

So

 

Question 1, do Specialist school status schools get any discount with the schools agreement? I found one thread that hinted specialist schools get something.

 

Question 2, do you have to count all computers in the school or can you just do some? For example could we just do say SQL Server under the schools agreement? (Thinking those annoying SIMS updates that require you to spend £££ upgrading SQL Server)

 

Question 3, reading the threads I see about £25 seems to be the going rate. So to be clear, its costs approximately £25 per machine for Windows, Office and the CAL for Windows Server, per year?

 

Question 4, anybody got any paracitmol my head hurts.

[timbo343]

Quackers

 

Im kinda in the same situation, but to my knowledge i dont think specialist schools get further discount. If they do, i have been missing out for years.

 

To question 2, We include all computers but if you wanted to have one SQL server that runs SIMS (like us) you would buy 1 licenses hense we only buy 1 license with Software Assurance which gives us free upgrades to future versions. The other SQL servers use SQL Express which is free.

 

Question 3... We are about to buy the OS on the agreement but we dont buy the desktop package, we do it seperately. Last time i checked a Server CAL worked out about £1.15, an office license was £12.65 and the OS was £9.56. Also the exchange CAL was £1.15. I am still at a cross road if i should buy the OS out-right but this could cost £55 each and for over 500 machines it works out about £26000 but a new OS comes out every 5 years so divide £26000 by 5 and you get £5200, but if you want more machines on the network, the cost of licenses is pricey. Its Swings and Roundabouts.

 

Question 4... i think you need more than paracetamols.

 

Tim

[DMcCoy]

Dropping stuff like the OS (while still meeting minimum points for the agreement) can have other downsides, like not having software assurance on an OS, stopping you from adding App-V to the agreement.

[GrumbleDook]

The SSAT negotiated a deal on the SELECT Agreement, not the Schools Agreement. This might be where the confusion is.

[ranj]

I have been processing schools agreements for 4 years now and am still confused by them. They get confusing every year IMO.

[Gatt]

Just done our renewal form and it is as mind boggling as ever..

We tend to just slightly over-estimate our number of PCs - we had to get an extra 50 this year.. BIST quoted us £11,500 for 350 Clients and 13 servers under Schools Agreement 3 with SA..

RM wanted us to buy RM Select.. (at about £30 per - Windows, Office, SQL, each type of CAL...) per PC!! it would be about quadruple BIST, and would then have to fork out again each time a new version was released as we wouldn't have SA!

[john]

Having read countless threads on the subject of MS Schools agreement licensing this morning, i think i am more confused that i was when I started, part of it I think is due to when the posts were made and things changing.

 

So

 

Question 1, do Specialist school status schools get any discount with the schools agreement? I found one thread that hinted specialist schools get something.

 

Question 2, do you have to count all computers in the school or can you just do some? For example could we just do say SQL Server under the schools agreement? (Thinking those annoying SIMS updates that require you to spend £££ upgrading SQL Server)

 

Question 3, reading the threads I see about £25 seems to be the going rate. So to be clear, its costs approximately £25 per machine for Windows, Office and the CAL for Windows Server, per year?

 

Question 4, anybody got any paracitmol my head hurts.

 

1) As GD has said, SSAT negociated specialist pricing on Select not Schools, but it can be worth trying them, the SSAT agreement is via Ramesys. In my experience there not badly priced on the Schools Agreement but were beaten into 4th place this year by Insight when I did my quoting exercise for my Schools Agreement.

2) Yes thats the way it works, so we have 220 desktops so they are all counted, the fact some of them struggle to run Office 2007 doesn't make a difference they need to count. They did make this rule a bit more flexible in the recent updates to how its licenced though - http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/schools/software-licensing/licences-for-schools.aspx is a useful link / comparison grid on the schemes.

3) The costs are usually for the School Desktop Pack with Core Cals which includes:

The School Desktop package includes:

 

* Windows 7 Enterprise Upgrade

* Microsoft Office Enterprise 2010 and Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 Professional Edition

* Microsoft Core CAL Suite

More details here - http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/schools/software-licensing/types-of-educational-licence/school-agreement.aspx

and that price is per year, stop paying it you loose the software.

4) No i'm out of soluable paracetamol.

 

My advice is to give Insight a call they do seem to be the hottest out there on pricing and advice, I know that others on here have used them and found the advice and support and poking of people at Microsoft that they did to be exceptional. I don't know who your account manager would be but if you don't have one and want the contact details of mine drop me a PM and I will pass her details over to you and she will ensure that you get to the right person for your area.

[Quackers]

After even more reading, would a SESP Non-Institution wide agreement allow just the SIMS Server to be licenced like the school agreement way?

 

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/schools/software-licensing/types-of-educational-licence/SESP-agreement/licensing-options.aspx

 

I believe its a UK Pilot scheme for schools.