News

Microsoft Updates Volume Licensing Programs

Microsoft made some minor changes to its volume licensing programs this week as it launched a new centralized Web site for licensing information.

The licensing announcements came out during Microsoft's fifth quarterly Volume Licensing update Webcast on Wednesday.

The new Product Licensing Website includes the Product List and Product Use Rights document along with volume licensing briefs and other information. The site is located at www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/userights/.

"We developed the site based on feedback from our customers that said having this information in one convenient place is important in helping them make strategic business decisions about their software purchases," Brent Callinicos, Microsoft corporate vice president for worldwide licensing and pricing, said in a statement. "We've designed the Web site to be easily searchable and to provide up-to-date resources that help our customers better understand how Microsoft licenses its products."

The site applies to licensing Microsoft products in the United States and Canada.

Among the minor changes to volume licensing:

  • The temporary step-up license program, which was set to expire around this time, was made permanent. Under the program, Software Assurance customers can migrate from the standard edition of select products to an enterprise edition without needing to purchase a new license.

  • A new promotion offers Software Assurance customers a special rate on Windows Rights Management Services Client Access Licenses.

    • About the Author

    Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.