Thank you for your interest in the Microsoft Open License for Education. This license option gives you an easy way to license, upgrade, and maintain multiple copies of participating Microsoft software products. Because this is a specially designed, customizable program, there are some terms and conditions that you will need to understand in order to purchase participating Microsoft software products.
1. What is the Microsoft Open License?
A. The Microsoft Open License contains a License Agreement with the Licensee Authorization Number. These allow you, upon receipt of your Microsoft Open License, to use any legally acquired Microsoft product as a master copy to make additional copies as designated in the License Agreement.
2. How is the Open License flexible enough to accommodate the changing needs of my organization?
A. Your Open License will be tailored to cover just those Open License products and number of copies your organization needs, subject to Open License agreement requirements.
3. What do I actually get when I acquire a Microsoft Open License?
A. You will receive the Microsoft Open License Kit, which contains your License Agreement with your individual Licensee Authorization Number.
4. How do I get the software with an Open License?
A. You may use any legally acquired Microsoft product as a master disk set from which to make additional copies for your Open License. The most popular way to get the master disk set is to purchase one full copy of the qualifying academic edition Microsoft product(s) to serve as the master disk set. Another option is to have an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) install the software as part of a solution.
5. What do I do with my Licensee Authorization Number?
A. You must use your Licensee Authorization Number to reorder product under your Open License price level, or to obtain any services or support which are generally commercially available, from Microsoft.
6. Who can order an Open License?
A. The Microsoft Open License is designed for educational organizations. An order for an Open License may be submitted only by the single legal entity named on the License Agreement. Combining the purchasing power of various individuals or legal entities is not permitted.
7. How do I order software with an Open License?
A. When you need Microsoft products, it's as simple as calling or visiting your Microsoft Authorized Education Reseller (AER) or Solution Provider. Your AER or Solution Provider can help you obtain an Open License from Microsoft.
8. How is Open License pricing determined?
A. Microsoft has determined two Open License price levels for the qualifying Open License products in three product pools. The final price and payment terms for Microsoft software products under the Open License-including Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus-are determined by you and your Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider. These price levels are subject to change.
9. Is volume sensitive pricing available?
A. Yes. There are two Open License price levels that correspond to purchase volume levels for the three product pools. The price level for which you qualify is based on the number of software units you acquire with your initial Open License purchase. These units can be acquired from acquisitions of new licenses, version and competitive upgrades and/or maintenance.
Level A: means an initial purchase of 50 to 499 units.The volume pricing level (A or B) established by your initial Open License purchase applies, during the two-year period of your Open License, to all subsequent reorders for additional qualifying Open License products (reorders must be at least 20 units from the same product pool). Final pricing and payment terms and conditions shall be negotiated between you and your Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider.Level B: means an initial purchase of 500+ units.
A. Yes. To make it easier for customers of all sizes to participate, products are grouped into three product pools-the Application Product Pool, System Product Pool and Server Product Pool. You must buy a minimum of 50 or 500 units in a particular product pool to establish your price level for your initial Open License order and all subsequent Open License reorders purchased within the following two years for that product pool.
A. Each new licensed copy of Microsoft software products, version and competitive upgrades and maintenance has a unit value. Many products have a unit value of one, but some products have higher values. For example, Microsoft Word has a value of one unit, Microsoft Office and Office Professional each have values of two units, and Microsoft Windows NT Server has a unit value of 15.
12. If I bought 450 units on my initial order, and then placed a reorder for 60 more units, will 10 of these be sold to me at Level B?
A. No. Your initial purchase establishes the price level for the entire two-year period of your Microsoft Open License. You can change levels however, by initiating an order at the new price level, and acquiring the minimum number of units to qualify for that level.
13. Do the separate pools require that my desktop application products run on just one platform?
A. No. As of October 1994, Microsoft desktop application software licenses are now "platform independent." A platform-independent license lets you use a specified version of a specified product on any computer on which the software runs. For example, a license for Microsoft Office 4.2 may now be put in use under Windows®, Windows NT or the Macintosh® - although you still may only run the product on one computer at a time.
14. What if I want to order application, system and server products?
A. If you want to acquire products in each of the product pools, you'll need to order three Open Licenses-one for each product pool, as designated on the License Agreement. You'll also need to meet the minimum initial purchase unit requirements for each product pool.
15. What gives me the right to make
and use copies of Open License products?
A. Microsoft will assign you a unique Licensee Authorization Number on the License Agreement that arrives with your Microsoft Open License. The License Agreement is your permanent license and authorizes you to use and reproduce copies of Microsoft software as specified in the License Agreement itself. You are not authorized to make any copies until you receive your License Agreement containing your Licensee Authorization Number.
16. Which Microsoft software products
are available under an Open License?
A. Your Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider has complete, current information about which Microsoft products are available under Open License, as well as their corresponding unit values. Final pricing and payment terms and conditions shall be negotiated between you and your Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider.
17. How do I order additional Open Licenses?
A. You can order additional Open Licenses through any Microsoft Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider. Your Open License Licensee Authorization Number is required for any reorders. During the two-year period of your Open License, each subsequent order must be a minimum of 20 units of qualifying Microsoft software product(s) in the product pool (application, system or server) covered by the initial Open License.You may reorder at any time during the two-year period of your initial Open License, provided that your Open License has not been otherwise terminated. The expiration date of your Open License two-year period is set forth in the License Agreement. After Microsoft receives your order, you will receive a License Agreement authorizing you to reproduce and use the additional licensed copies you have reordered.
Your right to order additional Open Licenses with the same price level as established by your initial Open License order may be terminated, at Microsoft's option, if you are found to have violated the terms of your Open License(s).
18. Is maintenance included in an Open License?
A. Yes, maintenance is available. That means you can easily acquire the latest versions of your qualifying Microsoft software products.
19. What is Open License Maintenance?
A. For each eligible, legally licensed copy of Microsoft software products enrolled in Open License Maintenance-whether such products are acquired under your Open License(s) or independently-you will have the rights to use the most current version of the enrolled products as soon as you receive your License Agreement.This means you have the rights to upgrade to the current version of the product as soon as you receive your License Agreement and you also stay on the current version for the two-year period of your Open License. For definitions of the specific product types which will be included as "upgrades" or "successor" products, please refer to the License Agreement.
20. What is Open License Maintenance Plus?
A. Effective June 1, 1995, Microsoft is introducing a new offering: Open License Maintenance Plus. Maintenance Plus is the only way to get a concurrent use license for eligible desktop applications products. The Open License Maintenance Plus offering provides all the benefits of Open License Maintenance plus allows shared, or concurrent, access to specific application products. This offering is designed for users who only need infrequent access to the software.Maintenance Plus requires a metering mechanism or reasonable software tracking process to ensure that the number of simultaneous users does not exceed the number of licenses enrolled. Note: in conjunction with this offering, the definition of concurrency has been changed so installation on a local hard drive is no longer considered "use". However, loading software into temporary memory (RAM) does still constitute "use" of the license. See your Microsoft Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider for a list of the application products offered under Maintenance Plus.
21. How do I get the upgraded product if I've enrolled in Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus?
A. You may use any legally acquired Microsoft product or upgrade as a master disk set from which to make additional copies for your Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus. The most popular way is to purchase one full copy (or full upgrade) of the qualifying Microsoft product(s) to serve as the master disk set.Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus then gives you the right to make additional copies of the upgraded or successor version as specifically set forth in the License Agreements as well as any new versions released during your Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus two-year period.
22. How do I enroll in Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus?
A. You can easily enroll in Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus when you place your first Open License order. At the time of purchase, you can enroll any licensed copies of participating Microsoft software products, both those acquired independently from your initial Open License and those you acquire under your Open License. Maintenance or Maintenance Plus units count toward your Open License price level so enrolling in Maintenance or Maintenance Plus with your initial order can make it even easier to meet a higher price level and receive more attractive pricing.With a Open License reorder, you can add the same number of licenses to Maintenance or Maintenance Plus as the number of new licenses you purchased. Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus reorders are tied directly to the new licenses being purchased.
23. How much does Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus cost?
A. Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus pricing is based both on the number of quarters remaining in your Open License two-year period and on the assumption that fees will normally be paid to your Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider as fixed and non-cancelable at the beginning of your coverage.Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus includes both the upgrade to the most current version of the product plus two years of coverage for any upgrades. This pricing is very attractive compared to the pricing of the version upgrade for the product. Contact your Microsoft Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider for detailed pricing information.
24. Are there any other benefits to Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus?
A. Yes, Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus gives you predictable product upgrade pricing for the entire two-year period of your Open License. You are also entitled to any 32-bit versions of 16-bit applications enrolled, when generally commercially available, at no additional cost. The specific terms of Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus, including the cross platform, and bit version options are set out in the License Agreement.
25. What if I want to add Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus later?
A. If you chose to add maintenance after your purchase of new software units you may purchase maintenance for a number equal to or less than the amount of new unit licenses you purchase on a particular Open License reorder. For instance, you may choose to add additional units halfway through your Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus, pricing is available for the remaining four quarters in the two-year period.
26. What are my guarantees if I buy Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus?
A. Microsoft does not guarantee that a certain number of product upgrades, or any product upgrades, will be released during the two-year period of the Open License. Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus does give you the right to upgrade to successor versions of the enrolled Open License products during the two-year period of your Open License and subject to the terms specifically set forth in your License Agreement. Product announcement estimates and other public or private statements, whether written or oral, cannot serve as a basis for expecting product upgrades at any given date. The definition of eligible product upgrades will be at the sole discretion of Microsoft.
27. Can I buy additional Open Licenses through a different Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider?
A. Yes. You may choose any Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider that offers Open License products, in the same country.
28. Can I sublicense my Open License to someone else?
A. No. You may not sublicense the rights under your Open License(s) to another individual or legal entity.
29. Can I get additional product user manuals?
A. Since the Open License does not include Microsoft product user manuals or the right to reproduce manuals, you will need to purchase them separately. Ask your Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider for details.
30. What happens if a new product upgrade is released and I just bought a previous version of the product? Can I get the new upgraded version with Open License?
A. Yes, if you fall into the "free upgrade" period for the upgrade to the eligible Open License product. To determine if you are eligible for the free upgrade, please reference the issue date on the Open License Agreement from which you bought the product. If the issue date falls in the time period defined as the free upgrade period for that product as determined by Microsoft, you qualify for the upgrade.If you are covered by Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus for the specified products you automatically qualify for any upgrades released during the two-year period of your Open License Agreement. For a definition of "upgrade" please refer to your License Agreement. Please contact your local Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider for those specific dates and more information, or call Microsoft Inside Sales at (800) 426-9400.
31. Can you summarize the key requirements for purchasing an Open License?
A. Certainly. You may be eligible to purchase licenses through Open License if you can answer "yes" to the following questions:a) Are you buying for a single legal entity?
b) Do you have at least 50 units of new licenses, version upgrades, competitive upgrades or maintenance that you wish to purchase?
c) For the purchase of new licenses, are all 50 units in either the Application Pool, System Pool or Server Pool?
d) If you are purchasing upgrades, Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus, do you have the proof of purchase your Authorized Education Reseller or Solution Provider requires?
32. What else might I need to know?
A. Here are some factors to keep in mind:a) Some Open License products may have a unit count of two (2), such as Microsoft Office. For example, you may buy a Open License Price Level A for some products with a unit value of two by just buying 25 licenses (upgrade, new or maintenance).
b) When you are placing a reorder, you must buy at least 20 or more units of product per product pool.
c) You cannot combine initial order and reorders to reach a higher Open License volume pricing level.
d) If you enroll in Open License Maintenance or Maintenance Plus at the same time as you buy your initial Open License, then you may enroll new licenses and your existing installed base. Maintenance or Maintenance Plus unit values count toward Open License price levels.
e) For Open License reorders, Maintenance or Maintenance Plus, enrollments must be equal to or less than the number of new Open Licenses being purchased per product on the same order.
f) You may reorder qualifying Microsoft software products against your initial Open License (20 unit minimum) for the two-year period of the Open License, or roughly two years. (Exact expiration is based on quartersplease see your Open License Agreement for your specific expiration date).
A. Contact your Authorized Education Reseller, Solution
Provider or Microsoft for more information about the Microsoft
Open License.
Top
WARNING:
Microsoft does not guarantee that a certain number of product
upgrades or successor products, or any product upgrades or successor
products, will be released during the period of your Open License
Maintenance or Maintenance Plus coverage. Product announcement
estimates and other public or private statements, whether written
or oral, cannot serve as a basis for expecting upgrades at any
given date.
Microsoft reserves the right to reject any order for a Microsoft
Open License which does not comply with this description or otherwise.
The terms and conditions of this description and the Microsoft
Open License shall control any provisions in any Reseller or Solution
Provider purchase order. The specific terms of any license shall
be contained in your License Agreement containing your Licensee
Authorization Number.
© 1995 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed
in the United States of America.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks and Windows NT
is also a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh is a registered
trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
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