Microsoft Enterprise Agreement. Delivering Value Across The Enterprise

Transcription

1 Microsoft Enterprise Agreement Delivering Value Across The Enterprise

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3 Index Introduction The Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) What is the Enterprise Agreement How the Enterprise Agreement works The Enterprise Platform Enterprise Agreement Subscription Enterprise Agreement Benefits Software Assurance Benefits Enterprise Agreement Desktop Technologies Enterprise Agreement Add-On Products Softchoice Recommended EA Add-Ons Why Choose Softchoice as your Enterprise Software Advisor? EA Customer Testimonials For More Information

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5 Introduction Softchoice Corporation is the leading source of service and support for Microsoft Volume Licensing Programs. Softchoice combines 15 years of software industry experience, award winning customer service, and powerful online tools to help organizations select, acquire, and manage their Microsoft technology. The Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) provides a simple business solution for software acquisition and management. Softchoice expertise in licensing and asset management compliments and enhances the value of the EA. In tandem with Microsoft, Softchoice offers a compelling value proposition to organizations in need of an enterprise license solution. Total Cost of Ownership Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is an important consideration when assessing the value of the Enterprise Agreement. For the purposes of this document, TCO is simply the sum of all the direct and indirect dollar costs associated with owning and using a computer throughout its lifecycle. You can think of TCO as all the little costs that go into acquiring, installing, and managing computers. Most estimates place the TCO at about 3 to 4 times the actual purchase cost of the computer. TCO includes: Original cost of the computer and software Hardware and software upgrades Maintenance Technical support Training Licensing as a Business Strategy Softchoice has identifi ed the following common technology software acquisition and management issues: Administrative overhead signifi cantly increases the TCO of technology Periodic price changes make budgeting difficult Diffi culty and expense of hardware and software asset management lead to inherent software license compliance and piracy risks Lack of standardization on software products makes communication between employees more difficult Lack of standardization on specific versions of software products increases support and maintenance costs; it also complicates the rolling out of custom applications Demand increases for multi-language User Interfaces and worldwide consistency in application software Technology is moving faster than customers are able to deploy it Much of the technology is so new and changing so fast, it has created a void of expertise. This void is slowing down the ability to effectively utilize the technology and, in some cases, is resulting in poor solution design and inefficiencies for the end user Some Business Units within a customer s organization may resist change internally, and they do not have a clear understanding of the benefi ts they are receiving Enterprise Agreement Objectives The following objectives are critical success factors in gaining the most benefi t from technology. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but does identify specifi c ways in which a Microsoft EA delivers value: Lower cost per desktop by signifi cantly reducing overhead associated with ordering and contract administration Lower support and training costs by providing tools and on-line help functionality Reduce deployment costs by minimizing the number of times each desktop must be touched Respond more rapidly to changing business needs by building a fl exible infrastructure Optimize employee communication by enabling quality information exchange and sharing across large and international organizations, while keeping a customized user interface Worldwide consistent program offering Take an enterprise view of technology decisions Increase the value of the technology by selling its value internally, to the business units involved 5

6 The Microsoft Enterprise Agreement What is the Enterprise Agreement? The Microsoft Enterprise Agreement is a software volume licensing program designed for medium and large-sized customers (250 or more desktops) who are interested in standardizing on some of or the entire enterprise platform of Microsoft products. An Enterprise Agreement makes it easy to acquire Microsoft software licenses at discounted prices based on a three-year agreement term. How does the Enterprise Agreement work? Enterprise Agreements are a direct contract with Microsoft in conjunction with Softchoice as your Enterprise Software Advisor (ESA). The Enterprise Agreement simplifi es license administration by only requiring a single transaction to acquire licenses across the entire enterprise and thus helps ensure compliancy. You will have immediate access at all times to the most current versions of the enterprise platform products elected in the agreement. Throughout the term of the agreement, you also have the right to immediately run software on additional desktops without having to acquire new licenses. Instead, a true-up order will be processed once a year to account for any new desktops. The initial term of the Enterprise enrollment is three years. At the end of the third year, the Enterprise enrollment may be renewed (upon mutual agreement) for one or three year terms continuously. Renewal pricing will be based on the price of Software Assurance at the time of your renewal. There are four price levels for each of the enterprise products. They are based on the number of qualifi ed desktops in your enterprise. Level PCs A ,399 B ,400-5,999 C ,000-14,999 D ,000+ Enterprise Agreement Subscription A variation of the Enterprise Agreement is the Enterprise Agreement Subscription it provides all the advantages of an EA with an additional 15% discount. Under the EA Subscription, you do not own the product licenses, but rather are subscribing to the rights to use the software for as long as you continue to maintain your subscription. Under an EA Subscription, a true-up is replaced by an annual desktop count that is used to determine the yearly cost of your subscription. Unlike an EA, this number can decrease from previous years, thus providing additional fl exibility to organizations with fl uctuating numbers of desktops. If, at the time your Enterprise Agreement Subscription expires, you elect not to renew with either the one or three-year option, then you relinquish your rights to continue running the software unless you choose to buy out of your agreement. Enterprise Platform Enterprise Agreements offer a fl exible way to standardize your company on the following enterprise platform of Microsoft products: Microsoft Office Professional Microsoft Windows Professional Desktop Upgrade Microsoft Core Client Access License (CAL). A CAL is required for each desktop user to access certain Microsoft server products. The Core CAL includes CALs for Windows Server, Exchange Server, SharePoint Portal Server, and a Confi guration Management License (equivalent to CAL) for Systems Management Server 6

7 Enterprise Agreement Benefits A Microsoft Enterprise Agreement creates value by supporting your business in these fundamental ways: Lower total cost of ownership. By standardizing on the enterprise platform, your total cost of ownership is reduced and workplace productivity is improved. Stay current with technology. The right to the current version of the products is built into the price of the products available. Your organization can reduce its overall costs by 10-15% by implementing technology standardization. Simplified license tracking. There is no need to track license usage or software versions during the agreement term, which reduces the overhead normally associated with ongoing license tracking and administration. Ensure compliance. All desktops are considered in compliance during the term of your enrollment. This removes not only potential up-front fees based on estimated growth or fines for not being in compliance, but also the costs associated with compliance audits, which can start at $50,000. Simplified budgetary planning. Cost is amortized in annual payments over a term, thereby simplifying budgeting and providing predictable software costs for the term of your enrollment. This takes much of the guesswork out of a budgeting process and can save you the cost and time associated with budget approval processes. Simply tell us the total number of desktops within your organization, and your annual payment will be based on the number you indicated plus any additions to your organization, reported just once each year. Single Microsoft agreement with easy renewal option. The three-year term of the Enterprise Agreement enables you to plan and implement technology needs without managing new agreements every year. It takes considerable business and legal resources to complete agreement reviews. Under the Enterprise Agreement, you have the option of extending the term for an extra one or three years, further reducing agreement review costs. Extend benefits of volume licensing to all affiliates within your organization. This enables you to capitalize on your total volume purchasing power, whether your affiliates are in a single country or located around the world. Build a flexible infrastructure. An Enterprise Agreement helps your organization more easily build and maintain its infrastructure so it can respond rapidly to changing business needs. Tomorrow s technology at today s prices. The price of any new products that are added to an EA will be locked down at today s prices. These products can be added at anytime throughout your agreement and also have the benefit of an annual true-up. Complimentary evaluation and training software. An EA includes the rights to run up to 20 complimentary copies of any add-on product in a dedicated on site training facility. In addition, up to 10 complimentary copies of any add-on product can be evaluated for a 60 day period. Streamlined ordering process. The method of making three annual payments under an Enterprise Agreement significantly reduces or even eliminates administrative requirements for processing ongoing transactions. This in turn reduces costs associated with generating purchase orders. Discounted pricing. Deep discounts with a fi xed, annual price based on the number of eligible desktops in your enterprise. 7

8 Software Assurance Benefits In addition to the benefits of an Enterprise Agreement, Microsoft delivers additional services and technologies to the EA through Software Assurance benefits. Software Assurance helps your company maximize the value of your software investment. By increasing worker productivity, providing technical support and tools, and offering the training your employees need to use your software more effi ciently, your company can gain the fl exibility it needs to keep your business edge. Enterprise Agreement customers receive the maximum Software Assurance benefi ts offered by Microsoft. Below is a list of these benefi ts and how they can be of value to your organization. Productivity Acquire the latest software automatically, spread payments annually, and extend the workplace to the home. Benefit Description Desktop Server New Version Rights Receive new versions of software to deploy at your own pace as they become available. This reduces the costs associated with acquiring new version releases and allows you to immediately take advantage of the latest technologies. Spread Payments An EA allows you to spread payments annually over three years. This reduces your initial costs and allows for easy up-front forecasting of annual software requirements. Home Use Program Employee Purchase Program Increase employee productivity and maximize the value of your investment by enabling your employees to work from home. This benefit provides your employees with a licensed copy of select Microsoft Offi ce System desktop applications to install and use on their home computer. Gives employees signifi cant savings off the retail pricing on Microsoft s most popular productivity and consumer products. Employees can order discounted products directly through a secure, Microsoft hosted e-commerce site. Training Bring employees up to speed quickly on new products and keep IT staff up to date on the latest technical information. Benefit Description Desktop Server elearning Microsoft s elearning courses use simulations, demonstrations, animations, hands-on exercises and assessment to provide an engaging, effective learning experience for employees who need to upgrade their skills and knowledge. Designed by subject matter experts, Microsoft s elearning courses can be used as traditional training or as a just-in-time reference resource either online or offl ine. Training Vouchers Organizations receive training vouchers for valuable instructor-led and online, self-paced training courses from Microsoft Certifi ed Technical Education Centers (CTECs), the premier authorized training channel for delivering learning products and services on Microsoft technology. 8

9 Support Access resources that help keep business systems running smoothly. Benefit Description Desktop Server TechNet Online Concierge Chat Online Concierge offers one-on-one Web-based assisted search chat sessions between Microsoft online advisors and users to help quickly locate information needed in troubleshooting technology issues. TechNet Plus: Online Managed Newsgroups IT professionals can tap into TechNet Online Concierge Chat, and post messages in Managed Newsgroups for timely answers to technical questions from industry colleagues. TechNet Plus IT professionals have access to TechNet Plus Subscription content featuring resources such as the knowledge base, utilities, drivers, and how-to articles to help them succeed. This also includes access to beta release software and evaluation copies of the latest applications. Problem Resolution Software Assurance offers problem resolution support through online and business hour Support* telephone resources. * Customers with Standard Editions of servers receive web-based problem resolution coverage. Customers with Enterprise Editions of servers receive both web-based and business hour telephone resolution. Tools Deploy software effi ciently, monitor errors, and access Microsoft Windows source code Benefit Description Desktop Server WinPE Corporate Error Reporting Microsoft Windows Pre installation Environment (WinPE) allows IT staff to build custom solutions that speed up deployment through automation so they spend less time and effort keeping desktops updated. WinPE can run Windows setup, scripts, and imaging applications. CER is a tool that gives IT Professionals a clear and easy way to monitor and review error information so they can control deployment of fixes and resolutions. It provides the ability for applications and the operating system to collect and report on crashes in the system. Extended Lifecycle Hot-fix Support The 90-day time frame for Software Assurance customers to sign up for two years of additional non-security hotfi x support beyond the mainstream period of fi ve years has been removed. It is not necessary to sign up or pay the initial fee for extended support prior to determining a need. This means customers do not pay for extended support unless hotfi xes are required. As always, security fi xes are automatically extended to customers. Enterprise Source Eligible customers with 1,500 or more licensed desktops can access Microsoft Windows source Licensing Program code for internal development and support. Cold Backup for Eligible customers receive complimentary cold backup server licenses for the purpose Disaster Recovery of disaster recovery. 9

10 Enterprise Agreement Add-On Products Microsoft is working to deliver new generations of software that will help companies use their IT budgets to realize strong returns while using the fewest resources. Microsoft software can help your business remain connected and productive, offering the highest dependability and the best economic investment available today. In addition to the latest versions of Microsoft Office Professional and Windows Professional Upgrade, an Enterprise Agreement includes Client Access Licenses (CAL) for Windows Server, Exchange Server, SharePoint Portal Server, and a Confi guration Management License (equivalent to CAL) for Systems Management Server. EA Add-on Products Most Microsoft products available under Volume Licensing can be added at any time to your Enterprise Agreement with the same terms, conditions, and pricing discounts that an EA offers. Once added, pricing for these products is locked down for the duration of your agreement. Here is a sample list of available products. Please speak with your Account Manager to discuss which products can most benefi t your organization. Data Management SQL Server E-Business Commerce Server Content Management Server Host Integration Server BizTalk Server Management Application Center Microsoft Operations Manager Systems Management Server* Speech Speech Server *Client Access License included with Enterprise Agreement Core CAL. Application Offi ce OneNote Offi ce Project Offi ce Visio Microsoft Business Solutions CRM Developer Microsoft Solution Developer Network (MSDN) Platform Windows Server* Virtual Server Security Internet Security & Acceleration Server (ISA) Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) Windows Identity Integration Server (MIIS) Communication And Collaboration Exchange Server* SharePoint Portal Server* Live Communications Server Live Meeting 10

11 Softchoice Recommended EA Add-Ons To realize the greatest productivity across your organization, Softchoice strongly suggests that you consider adding the following products to your Enterprise Agreement. Systems Management Server (SMS) Microsoft SMS is a strategic solution for addressing information technology and business issues in the software management of Windows-based desktops, laptops, and servers. This is addressed through Application Deployment, Asset Management, Security Patch Management, Mobility, and Windows Management Services Integration. SharePoint Portal Server (SPS) Web Portals are a popular way to aggregate information from several different sources into one convenient place. Microsoft SPS provides an easy way to create scalable Web portals with integrated document management services and search capabilities. This allows you to connect people and teams with the information they need to work more effi ciently. Office Live Meeting Live Meeting is a hosted Web conferencing service that will help your organization meet, present, train, and collaborate with employees, prospects, customers, partners, and global audiences in real time and at a moment s notice. With Live Meeting, teams can swap ideas, share information, mark up fi les, and collaborate with whiteboards. Sales reps can demonstrate products and negotiate deals more easily and quickly with anyone, anywhere, using only a PC with Internet connection and a phone. Use Live Meeting to communicate with more people, more often, and more effectively without the time and cost of travel. Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) MOM is the event and performance management tool for Windows Server System that helps your enterprise reduce the cost and complexity associated with managing your infrastructure. MOM allows IT administrators to view and monitor servers and applications from one location and provides thousands of pre-defined events, alerts, and reports from the product experts themselves. MOM simplifies the identifi cation of IT issues, helps determine the root cause of a problem, facilitates and automates quick resolution to restore services, prevents potential IT problems, and ultimately increases IT service levels while driving down costs. MSDN Subscriptions The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) is a set of online and offl ine services designed to help developers architect, write, and test applications using Microsoft products and technologies. MSDN is the premiere location for developer resources on the web. SQL Server Microsoft SQL Server is the complete database, data analysis, and reporting offering for rapidly delivering the next generation of scalable e-commerce, line-of-business, and data warehousing solutions. It dramatically reduces the time required to bring these applications to market while offering the scalability needed for the most demanding environments. Live Communications Server Live Communications Server will provide your business with enterprise-ready instant messaging (IM), presence awareness, and an extensible platform that connects people, information, and business processes enabling better decisions faster. With a familiar user experience integrated into the Microsoft Offi ce System, LCS allows people to communicate without the constraints of geography, offi ce location, or time zone. Office OneNote Never lose another note or memo!! Microsoft Office OneNote is a new program (for laptop, desktop, or Tablet PCs) that enables information workers to easily capture, organize, find, and share their notes, so they can manage all of their information in one place and use it more productively. OneNote combines the freedom and flexibility of paper notes with the effi ciency and power of digital organizational tools, enabling you to work with your notes and information more productively. Customers are able to capture text, diagrams, Web page content, and video and audio notes in one place and have the fl exibility to quickly organize, fi nd, and use information the way they want. 11

12 Why Choose Softchoice? When choosing your Microsoft Enterprise Software Advisor (ESA), keep in the mind the following Softchoice offerings that will enhance the value of your EA as well as improve your software licensing experience. We Have Experience Softchoice is the leading Microsoft Enterprise Software Advisor (ESA) in North America, managing more Enterprise Agreements in both Canada and the United States than any other Reseller. Softchoice s EA retention rate is second to none in the industry, and a high number of customers who initially signed with another ESA have switched to Softchoice because they were not getting any value from their original advisor. We Save You Money Softchoice takes a consultative approach to analyze your true needs and determine what the best licensing program is for your organization. We help you save money by providing a detailed cost analysis of an Enterprise Agreement versus other Microsoft licensing programs. Softchoice also offers a TechCheck LiveInventory service that helps you identify under-utilized or unnecessary technology to ensure you only buy what is needed. Softchoice s excellent relationships and reputation with Microsoft, service providers, and other vendors allow you to get the best value for the best price. We Save You Time Softchoice prides itself in having the fastest response time in the industry. We promise a live, knowledgeable response every time you call no annoying, automated phone systems here! Give us a call at and see for yourself. Softchoice will save you time by ensuring proper contract and order processing. After your contract has been processed, we will assist with your Software Assurance benefi t activations and Microsoft Volume Licensing Site registration. Throughout the term of your agreement, we will help you take care of the annual EA true-up process, and provide a cost analysis when it comes time to determine whether to renew your licensing agreements. We Minimize Your Risks Softchoice is recognized as the industry leader in license compliance and software asset management. With ongoing customer license reporting, purchase history reports, and software asset management services, Softchoice will help minimize your risks. You can customize purchase history records for all of your licensing agreements through the MY AGREEMENTS feature on Softchoice.com. Our reports are secure, accurate, and recognized as official proof of license by the Software Information Industry Association (SIIA), as is our asset management service, LiveInventory. Our Customers Love Us Softchoice s passion for customer service has made us the largest Microsoft reseller in Canada and among the fastest growing in the United States. Softchoice was named Large Account Reseller of the Year for top volume licensing sales in Canada. We are also a repeat winner of the Northern Lights Award, which recognizes leadership in software licensing, compliance, and software asset management. In addition to our Microsoft accolades, Softchoice was voted Call Center of the Year based on a detailed analysis of customer satisfaction and loyalty by Ipsos-Reid. Softchoice was also named one of Canada s 50 Best-Managed Companies for the fourth consecutive year. 93% of Softchoice customers say that we are customer focused and 80% indicated that Softchoice saves me time and money around selecting and acquiring the right technology for the job. We Support You By selecting Softchoice to manage your Enterprise Agreement, you will be supported by an entire team of resources. You will be directly supported by a Local Account Executive as well as an Inside Sales Account Manager. In addition to your personal account team, a team of seven dedicated Microsoft Sales Specialists, an immediate response team, a licensing team, and a technical sales team will look after any requirements that you may have. Our Service Partnerships Softchoice is pleased to offer a full suite of deployment, consultation, and implementation services through our National network of IT service provider partners. We offer turnkey implementation of technology network, hardware, and software within the desktop, LAN, and WAN arenas. Our partners employ best practices, proven migration methodologies, and end-to-end project management to assist you in deploying Microsoft solutions. Softchoice helps you leverage the extensive experience, large-scale migration expertise and nationwide delivery capabilities of the best service providers across Canada. Our Training Partnerships Softchoice is pleased to partner with the leading education and training providers for the corporate marketplace. Our Enterprise Agreement customers can redeem training vouchers on select Microsoft training courses through any Microsoft Certified Partner for Learning Solutions (CPLS) in Canada or the United States. A unique partnership with a National Learning Solutions Partner in Canada, for example, provides Softchoice customers with FREE training vouchers beyond those included with your EA. Our Management Services Softchoice LiveInventory service for IT asset management gives you the ability to comprehensively audit all the software and hardware operating in your MS Windows environment. It offers a full, real-time analysis of all of your organization s technology assets, bridging the gap between what you purchased and what is actually installed. Its effi cient discovery process has a minimal impact on your IT resources, and delivers the data in over 150 useful reports to help you immediately utilize the wealth of information you have collected. With reporting that focuses on everything from software compliancy and platform migration to security policy risk analysis, LiveInventory allows you to truly maximize the benefi ts of your Enterprise Agreement. Our Solution Sites Softchoice gives you access to product information, special offers, free trials, news, demos, and more from our Microsoft Solution Sites. These sites can be accessed at your leisure from com and are constantly updated to keep you informed. 12

13 EA Customer Testimonials Here is just a sampling of what our Enterprise Agreement customers have said about the level of service received from Softchoice throughout the term of their EA. Our long-standing relationship with Softchoice has been built on their ability to exceed our service expectations. Their support extends beyond software license purchases, or annual renewals of maintenance agreements. Softchoice provides us with value-add services such as requirements analysis, providing alternatives and creative solutions that best fit our needs. Helen Polatajko Chief Information Offi cer, CIBC Mellon Trust Company We rely on Softchoice for many aspects of the acquisition process, from the cost-analysis of licensing agreement options, to helping manage budget allocation and compliancy across our global sites. Our Softchoice team backs up their advice with impressive legwork and expertise. It s clear that they ve saved us time and money along the way. David Jamieson Director, Information Technology, Barrick Gold Corporation I have a lot of things to manage, from desktop migration plans, to software compliancy and security threats. Like an extension of my IT staff, Softchoice helps look after our IT environment. And with the Live- Inventory service, I have an analysis tool that gives me peace of mind. Overall, I have much more control and confidence in our IT infrastructure management. Michael Cullen Director of IS/IT, Yellow Pages Group 13

14 For More Information Let one of our knowledgeable Account Executives at one of our 30 sales offices help you determine whether an Enterprise Agreement is best for your organization. Give us a call at or visit today! Vancouver Calgary Seattle Montr Portland Boston San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego Las Vegas Salt Lake Phoenix Denver Oklahoma City Dallas Minneapolis Kansas City Chicago Atlanta Birmingham Charlotte Norwalk New York Virginia Beach Branch Location Agent Location Austin Houston Tampa Miami 14

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16 Weekly Webinar Demo Technology Asset Management Are You Ahead of the Curve? Softchoice considers IT Asset Management to be more than just counting PC s and software we ll help you spot opportunities, as well as identify legal, financial and security risks. In this webinar you ll learn how Softchoice LiveInventory and the TechCheck will help you: Identify violations of your IT policies and standards Manage your PC Lifecycle more cost-effectively Locate missing patches and Anti-virus updates Accurately project the full cost and scope of a migration Eliminate inflated true-up fees and harvest licenses Attend the Softchoice Weekly Webinar Demonstration Examining the powerful IT asset management benefits of Softchoice LiveInventory and the TechCheck. Every Thursday at 2pm EST (11am PST), 45 Minutes. To register, weeklywebinar@softchoice.com To learn more or get a free 7-day trial, visit