Changes to Software Assurance Benefits- Microsoft Announcement

Microsoft just announced that they will be making significant changes to SA Benefits.  Below are the highlights of some of the changes and how they will impact your organization.

What’s changing? 

Microsoft will be retiring in phases the following legacy SA benefits:

 - Deployment Planning Services (Vouchers)

2    - Training Vouchers (SATV)

3    -  24x7 Problem Resolution Support

Why is Microsoft making these changes? 

Microsoft is looking for new ways to help customers deploy, train and receive support.  Microsoft continues to grow the FastTrack program to enable customers to successfully adopt Microsoft cloud services.  They are also looking at investing in new training and certification offerings along with programs to drive adoption of solutions with customers and partners.  Finally, they are adjusting SA support eligibility criteria and changing support incident allocations.

Key Dates!

Deployment Planning:

February 1, 2020 – DPS cloud engagements will be retired. All cloud customers will be directed to FastTrack Programs

February 1, 2021 – Customers will no longer accrue DPS days

June 30, 2021 – Last day to create planning days to be used

January 1, 2022 – Last day for partners to redeem DPS vouchers for current engagements

Training Vouchers:

February 1, 2020 – Training vouchers can no longer be converted to planning services days

February 1, 2020 – Customers will no longer be able to use training vouchers for Azure courses

February 1, 2021 – Customers will no longer accrue training vouchers

June 30, 2021 – Last day to create training vouchers to be used

January 1, 2022 – Last day to redeem training vouchers for existing contracts

Support:

February 1, 2020 – Customers who convert Software Assurance incidents to buy down Premier/Unified or pay for DSE will be permitted to do it one more time after this date until February 2021

February 1, 2020 – Support incidents can no longer be converted to Premier/Unified support after the one-time renewal event (one-time buy down option is ended)

February 1, 2021 – Incidents will no longer be awarded or allowed to convert to Premier/Unified

February 1, 2021 – Microsoft will provide support for eligible customers who spend $250,000/year or more on Software Assurance

#Microsoft#ITAM#Licensing#SAM
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#Licensing#SA

Visual Studio Subscription (formally known as MSDN subscription): Understanding licensing

Visual Studio Subscription is one of most widely used Microsoft's application used by various organizations to develop their application with most efficient and cost effective way, however one needs to be understand the advantages and obligations of Visual Studio subscription.

One most important concept which I came across while discussing with clients is clarity on Production and Development environment. So,

Production Environment: As per Microsoft, A production environment is defined as an environment that is accessed by end users of an application (such as an Internet Web site) and that is used for more than Acceptance Testing of that application or Feedback. In simplest word "An environment used to make money or carry out the business of an organization"

Development Environment: Used to develop and create and application for production systems.

From November 2017 Microsoft Whitepaper:

"All Visual Studio subscriptions and Visual Studio Professional are licensed on a per-user basis. Each licensed user may install and use the software on any number of devices to design, develop, test, and demonstrate their programs. Visual Studio subscriptions also allow the licensed user to evaluate the software and to simulate customer environments in order to diagnose issues related to your programs. Each additional person who uses the software in this way must also have a license"

Their are many options to buy Visual Studio subscription but it is important to understand what are the features each option has in order to get most value for money and to make sure that developers and compliant for all their undertaking development activities. 

Some features I am listing here are common in both the options: 

1- User based Licensing: Visual Studio subscription licenses operate on a named used basis. Each subscription is activated and assigned to a uses's Microsoft account. All users who come to the contact of software which has been download form Visual Studio portal must be assigned a Visual Studio Subscription license. For example: A system engineer who installs the software on machines should also covered by Visual Studio subscription. One exception to this rule is those end users who are involved in UAT( User acceptance testing) but downloaded the software from Visual Studio subscription portal can ONLY use it.

2- License Reassignment: Subscription can be assigned to other users but only once in a 90 days. It can also be reassigned to an employees, contractors, third party etc. but re-assignment restriction would remain once in a 90 days. 

3- Software available on subscription portal: Any developer who is assigned a Visual Studio subscription can download and use any software available on their subscription portal**. 

4- Multiple Machine Use: Subscription allows to use a software downloaded form Visual Studio portal to any number of devices simultaneously, no matter whether the machines belongs to home or office. 

5- Perpetual use rights: Visual Studio subscriptions purchased through certain channels( like EA, Open Agreement) provide perpetual use rights that allows developer who is assigned the Visual Studio subscription can still make use of all software they had downloaded and obtained keys even after the expiration of subscription, however they cannot install any subsequent upgrades of that software.

Generally, Visual Studio which do NOT provide perpetual rights includes:

- Visual Studio cloud subscriptions

- Visual Studio subscriptions purchased through Enterprise Agreement Subscription, Open Value Subscription, Campus Agreement, or other “subscription” Volume Licensing programs

- Visual Studio subscriptions offered through the Microsoft Partner Network to competency partners and to Microsoft Action Pack partners.

6- Transfer rights: If a Visual Studio subscription is transferred or sold,any perpetual use rights are transferred to the new party and the seller can no longer use the software

Other most common considerations

1- Training is not considered a development activity, so Visual Studio subscription can not be used.

2- Environment used for DR( disaster recovery) and back-up activities are considered production environment so Visual Studio subscription can not be used.

3- Visual Studio subscription can be used for non-production use as well ONLY in case of Office Pro plus. Visual Studio Enterprise subscription gives right to use Office Pro Plus on to one machine by one user.

References:

https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Visual-Studio-2018-Licensing-Whitepaper-November-2017.pdf 

https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/pricing/ 

Microsoft New Announcement for product pricing and products names

Microsoft will be making a series of changes across our program and product portfolio to provide unique offers that support customer digital transformation, improve the buying and selling experience, and make it easier to do business with Microsoft. We continue to execute on our Modern Commerce strategy by introducing programmatic changes across our VL programs that relate specifically to offer pricing and discounting.

Pricing adjustments coming on October pricelists

On October 1, 2018, we will adjust pricing for our licensing programs and make price adjustments to on-premises and cloud products. These changes will highlight the benefits of our pricing for a cloud-first world, help us move from program-centric to a customer-centric pricing structure, and create more consistency and transparency across our purchasing channels.

October pricing changes include:

• Establishing a single, consistent starting price across all programs aligned to web direct for online services (OLS)
• Removing the programmatic volume discounts (Level A and Open Level C) in Enterprise Agreement (EA)/EA Subscription, MPSA, Select/ Select Plus, and Open programs (Open, Open Value, Open Value Subscription)
• Aligning government pricing for on-premises and online services to the lowest commercial price in EA/EAS, MPSA, Select Plus, and Open Programs
• Delivering a newly designed Customer Price Sheet that better outlines how a customer’s price was derived (direct EA/EAS only)

In conjunction with the programmatic pricing changes, several changes to our product pricing will be delivered, including:

• Office 2019 commercial prices will increase 10 percent over current on-premises pricing
  • The price increase will include Office client, Enterprise CAL, Core CAL, and server products

• Windows 10 Enterprise E3 offers will be renamed:
  • E3 will now refer to the per user offer only- Windows 10 Enterprise E3 per User becomes Windows 10 Enterprise E3
  • Windows 10 Enterprise E3 per Device becomes Windows 10 Enterprise
  • The price of Windows 10 Enterprise will be raised to match the price of Windows 10 Enterprise E3
  • Windows 10 Enterprise E5 per device will be discontinued

Each of these changes will be reflected on the October 2018 pricelists, with preview on the September 2018 pricelist.

Source: Microsoft Blog 

https://blogs.partner.microsoft.com/mpn/announcing-price-adjustments/