Microsoft has announced that, starting in October 2008, the company will begin offering a new flexible Volume Licensing program dubbed "Select Plus," targeted for large businesses. Joe Matz, corporate vice president for Worldwide Licensing and Pricing at Microsoft, explained that "Select Plus is a tailored response to customer feedback for greater flexibility and enhanced manageability in purchasing." The licensing program is just like any other from Microsoft: it offers a combination of applications, systems, and servers from the company's product line.
Where Microsoft truly differentiates with Select Plus is with the licensing term: there is none. Select Plus agreements never expire. Furthermore, Select Plus allows customers who have multiple purchase contracts (different departments, locations, or affiliates) to combine them all into one Master Business Agreement. A single customer ID makes it easier to manage software licenses throughout an entire organization. Such a licensing agreement can work for existing customers as well as for new ones.
The program works on a point system that determines the final price: each software product carries a point value, based on purchase volume across a given company (discounts are awarded with more licenses). Microsoft says it will offer different prices for eligible government and academic bodies. Also worth noting is that Select Plus allows the addition of Microsoft Software Assurance for 36 months with an annual payment plan.
It looks like Microsoft has finally come up with a licensing option that will reduce the criticism the software giant has been receiving in this particular area. What does your company think, is Select Plus worth looking into?
