Open License for Academic Guide

Volume Licensing Guide

Microsoft Open License

for Academic

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Open License for Academic Guide

Table of contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Academic Volume Licensing overview ........................................................................................................................................ 1
Subscription licensing .................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Transactional licensing ................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Open License for Academic features and benefits ................................................................................................................. 2
Open License for Academic value ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Acquiring licenses through Open License for Academic...................................................................................................... 2
Minimum initial order .................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Additional orders ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Licensing Windows Education Upgrade through Open License for Academic ........................................................... 3
Licensing Office 365 through Open License for Academic ................................................................................................. 3
Subscription term and renewal ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Adding users mid-term ............................................................................................................................................................... 4
Software Assurance with Open License for Academic .......................................................................................................... 4
How Software Assurance works .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Purchasing Software Assurance ............................................................................................................................................... 4
Licensing Microsoft IT Academy through Open License for Academic .......................................................................... 5
Managing Licenses with Volume Licensing Service Center................................................................................................. 6

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Introduction
This guide provides information to help you understand the Microsoft Open License for Academic licensing agreement and
deploy and manage your software licenses. It is provided for informational purposes only. Your licensed product use is
governed by the terms of your licensing agreement. The Microsoft Licensing Product Terms document, which is updated
regularly, provides additional details regarding current products availability and use rights for specific Microsoft products
acquired through Volume Licensing programs. For a copy of the current Product Terms, please go to
www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/product-licensing.aspx.

Academic Volume Licensing overview

For education customers who license software in quantity and manage software across multiple devices, Microsoft Volume
Licensing programs may provide the most cost-effective way to acquire licenses.
Microsoft offers both subscription and transactional (also known as perpetual) Volume Licensing agreements for
education customers.

Subscription licensing
With subscription licensing agreements, you have the right to run a selection of products, and any upgrades or downgrades
of those products, for a designated term. For application, system, and Client Access License (CAL) products, even if the
number of computers or users grows, you remain fully licensed throughout the designated term, and you only need to report
increases on your annual order. Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES) is Microsofts core subscription licensing program
for educational institutions.

Transactional licensing
With transactional (perpetual) Volume Licensing agreements, you acquire perpetual software licenses (meaning your
institution has a perpetual, everlasting license) while eliminating the costs and packaging of retail software.
Microsoft has three transactional Volume Licensing programs for education customers: The Microsoft Products and Services
Agreement, Microsoft Select Plus for Academic, and Microsoft Open License for Academic.
Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA)
The MPSA is a single agreement for both your Online Services and software transactional purchases across and organization.
It offers academic pricing (equal to Select Plus for Academic pricing) and can reduce the administrative overhead associated
with managing multiple agreements. It also covers multiple industries within your organizationsuch as commercial and
academic entitiesunder one agreement. Software Assurance is an optional purchase.
Select Plus for Academic
Select Plus for Academic is a transactional agreement for medium and large institutions with approximately 250 or more PCs.
Select Plus for Academic offers the advantages of a non-expiring agreement, the flexibility to acquire licenses as needed, a
single customer ID to streamline account management across multiple affiliates, and the ability to add value with a full 36
months of Software Assurance as an option. Unlike the MPSA, Select Plus does not include the ability to purchase Online
Services.
Open License for Academic
Open License for Academic is a widely accessible and cost-effective way for small education institutions to license Microsoft
software, starting with as few as five licenses. You simply determine the number of software licenses your institution wishes
to acquire and place the order with an authorized reseller. You also have the option to include Software Assurance with your
licenses. After obtaining licenses, you can download your software and license keys, or order installation media from a

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Microsoft-approved fulfillment source for a fee. License confirmations are distributed electronically and posted on a
password-protected Internet site. Open License for Academic is the focus of this document.
Learn more about all of your options at www.microsoft.com/licensing/licensing-options/for-industries.aspx.

Open License for Academic features and benefits

Microsoft Open License for Academic is a smart choice for great value on Microsoft software. Created for smaller education
institutions, this flexible licensing agreement offers savings over retail Microsoft software, while giving you the benefits of a
volume-based licensing agreement. The Open License for Academic agreement is designed to provide an easy way for you to
acquire and administer multiple copies of software and receive license confirmations quickly and conveniently. You can
obtain the most current Microsoft software products for your institution while helping to manage overall costs and staying
compliant.

Open License for Academic value

Simplicity Open License for Academic is easy to understand and administer with simple, clear terms for acquiring
software licenses.

Flexibility Open License for Academic is flexible enough to meet the needs of a broad range of institutions. Customers
can choose from a wide selection of products and Online Services. After an initial order of five or more licenses, you may
place orders for as few as one license, so you order only what you need.

Availability You can acquire Microsoft products through Open License for Academic from any Authorized Education
Reseller (AER).

Compliancy You receive license confirmation information electronically and you can quickly and easily view your
license purchase historyso theres never any question about what licenses you own.

Acquiring licenses through Open License for Academic

Minimum initial order
In order to initiate an Open License for Academic agreement, there is a minimum acquisition requirement of five licenses.
This may include licenses in any combination of products. When you acquire a license with Software Assurance, it counts as
two licenses toward your five-license minimum order.

Additional orders
There is no minimum requirement for additional orders, so you can submit orders for as few as one license and receive the
volume discounted price established by your Open License for Academic agreement.

Initial orders under an

Open License Agreement

Additional orders under an existing

Open License Agreement

Contract Term

Two-year term begins with each new

order on a new authorization
number

Two-year term begins with initial order only

Online Tracking

Set up a new logon to view licenses

online at Volume Licensing Service
Center (VLSC)

Return to VLSC using current logon to view

additional licenses purchases

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Open License for Academic Guide

Parent/subsidiary and
affiliate relationship

Parent or other related entity must

place initial order to set price level

Parent or affiliate may use same authorization

number for reorders

Minimum order
quantities

five licenses

one license

Software Assurance

Customer has full two-year coverage

from initial order

Customer length of coverage expires at the

end of the authorization number started with
the initial order

Licensing Windows Education Upgrade through Open License for

Academic
When you license a desktop operating system through Microsoft Volume Licensing programs, its important to know that
only UPGRADE licenses for Windows Education* are availableFULL operating system licenses are not offered. Prior to
licensing a Windows Education Upgrade through your Open License for Academic agreement, you need to have a full
underlying license for a qualifying operating system for each PC. (Qualifying operating systems are listed in the Microsoft
Volume Licensing Product Terms, which you can find at www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/productlicensing/products.aspx#PT.) There are two ways for you to get the necessary full operating system license:

For newly manufactured PCs, the best way to acquire that license is to have the Original Equipment Manufacturer
(OEM) pre-install Windows on the PC.

If the OEM has not pre-installed Windows on the PC, then you can purchase a full Windows license through retail full
packaged product (FPP).

*Windows 10 Education Upgrade is only available with Software Assurance. For details about Windows 10 licensing, visit
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Licensing/product-licensing/windows10.aspx

If you discover that you have existing PCs that lack the necessary full license for a qualifying operating system, talk to your
Microsoft reseller about the Get Genuine Windows Agreement for Academic (GGWA-A). GGWA-A provides a simple, costeffective way for you to acquire full licenses for Windows to fulfill your requirement for a full qualifying operating system.
Once you have acquired the full operating system license, you are then eligible to license those PCs for a Windows Education
Upgrade through your Open License for Academic agreement. Learn more.

Licensing Office 365 through Open License for Academic

Microsoft Office 365 Education and Office 365 ProPlus subscriptions are available for purchase through Open Licensing for
Academic. Upon placement of order, the customer and reseller will receive email information of how to access their product
keys for activating Office 365.

Subscription term and renewal

The Office 365 subscription term is 12 months and is independent from the Open License for Academic term. The Office 365
subscription term starts upon redemption of the product key at Office 365.com/setup.
At the end of the subscription term, you can renew your Office 365 subscriptions either by submitting a new order through
Open License for Academic or by using the administration tools on Office365.com.

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Adding users mid-term
You can add Office 365 users at any time. When you add users mid-term, the subscription term is divided and dispersed
among all users so that all subscriptions become co-terminus. For example, if you have two existing users with three months
remaining in their term and you add a third user, the 12 months for the new user is divided among the three users so that
their subscriptions co-terminate. This would be accomplished by truncating the new users term to six months and adding
three additional months to each of the two existing users subscription terms. This will ensure the simplest renewal
management for the administrator of the Office 365 subscription.

All Office 365 Use Subscription License are co-terminus

Software Assurance with Open License for Academic

When you include Software Assurance with the on-premises licenses you acquire through Open License for Academic, you
get the right to install any new release of covered products during the term of the Open License for Academic authorization
number under which Software Assurance was purchased. You also qualify to receive E-Learning content. Learn more about
the benefits of Software Assurance at www.microsoft.com/licensing/software-assurance/default.aspx.

How Software Assurance works

Software Assurance is a great value for institutions who value the ability to deploy and update solutions based on the most
recent technology releases.
Once purchased, Software Assurance enables you to get technology advancements available through future version software
products released during the term of your Open License for Academic authorization number. This advantage also applies to
older version software, which offers you additional flexibility in deployment of solutions that meet your needs.

Purchasing Software Assurance

You may purchase Software Assurance with a license by ordering a License and Software Assurance package. Software
Assurance coverage runs for two years or the remaining balance of the term of the Open License for Academic authorization
number. Software Assurance must always be paid for in two-year increments, regardless of when it was purchased. In cases

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Open License for Academic Guide

where time has passed after the initiation of an Open License for Academic, it may be advantageous for you to open a new
Open License for Academic agreement in order to receive the most value from your Software Assurance purchase.

Start of a new Open License for

Academic License authorization
number

End of the two-year

authorization number

Two-year authorization
number
Start of year 2

Acquire the License and Software

Assurance package for any product any
time during the term

Receive upgrades for the remainder of the term

of the authorization number

Software Assurance coverage is co-terminus with the Open License authorization number.

You may also acquire Software Assurance for the following license within 90 days of the license purchase:

System or server software product licenses acquired through retail full-packaged product (FPP) or from an original
equipment manufacturer (OEM)

Microsoft Office licenses are acquired through an OEM

Licensing Microsoft IT Academy through Open License for

Academic
The Microsoft IT Academy is subscription-based program designed for accredited academic institutions worldwide. It
empowers academic institutions to help students realize their skills and career potential through relevant, high-quality and
latest technology training resources. Academic institutions and their educators, students and staff get digital curriculum and
certifications for fundamental technology skillsas well as courses critical for students to be successful in todays
technologically evolving world. With these resources, educators can prepare their students to enter the workforce with skills
that are in demand by employers. The Microsoft IT Academy Program resources are flexible, and easy to integrate into new
or existing curricula. And, with todays tighter budgets, they help schools keep pace with technology and save money.
The IT Academy membership is available through the Open License for Academic as a Subscription License and can be
acquired to license the entire institution or department.

License term
The IT Academy membership has the same expiration date as the term of the Open Authorization License number under
which it is licensed. The new order for IT Academy subscription under Open Academic will automatically start Open License
authorization number and set the term of the IT Academy subscription for two years.
Get more information about Microsoft IT Academy.

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Open License for Academic Guide

Managing Licenses with Volume Licensing Service Center
The Microsoft Volume Licensing Center (VLSC) is the portal for managing your licenses. You can:

Access your licensing information in one location

View all agreements or purchases in your organization

Easily access a licensing summary that illustrates all entitlements by product and version

View all assigned product keys and download products

Get the details and view how-to videos at www.microsoft.com/licensing/existing-customers/manage-my-agreements.aspx.

Glossary
Affiliates
A company or legal entity that owns, is owned by, or is under common ownership with the customer.
Authorization number
The number assigned to the customer by Microsoft after initiating an Open License for Academic account. This number
allows for reorders for two years.
Authorized Education Reseller
A reseller that is authorized to sell Microsoft Academic Edition (AE) products to eligible academic customers.
Distributors
An organization authorized by Microsoft to distribute Microsoft products to resellers.
License
The license that grants a customer the right to run a Microsoft software product as specified in the product use rights.
License and Software Assurance Package
The part number that combines the License and Software Assurance part numbers.
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation or any of its affiliates.
Open License
In relation to Microsoft Volume Licensing, Open License is a volume license program for customers with a need for as few as
five licenses. Open License refers to the rules and procedures of this acquisition option or to the software products acquired
and to the agreement that grants rights to use the products depending on the context.
Product Terms
A document listing all Microsoft products and their use rights available for acquisition under the Open License for Academic.
Product pools
Microsoft products available through Open License for Academic are categorized as applications, systems, and server
products.

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Reseller
Any organization providing the resale of a Microsoft products to a customer.
Software Assurance
The comprehensive Microsoft maintenance program.

2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT. This information is
provided to help guide your authorized use of products you license; it is not your agreement. Your use of products licensed under your volume license
agreement is governed by the terms and conditions of that agreement. In the case of any conflict between this information and your agreement, the terms and
conditions of your agreement control. Prices for licenses acquired through Microsoft resellers are determined by the reseller.

August 2015