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Need help with software licensing? Read on…

Hi,

I'm Ruth Morton, Technology Advisor with Microsoft Canada. I work on a team that is tasked with trying to help YOU by providing resources, answering questions and generally trying to set you up for success with Microsoft-based solutions.

How do we know what you need and what we can do to help? Twice a year through something we call "The Global Relationship Study" – we reach out and contact you to see how we're doing and what Microsoft could do better. If you get an email from "Microsoft Feedback" with the subject line "Help Microsoft Focus on Customers and Partners" between March 5th and April 13th, please take a little time to tell us what you think.

One of these areas that came up in the last survey was licensing. Figuring out which software licensing options best suit your needs while being cost-effective can be confusing. Some businesses end up making their purchases through retail stores which means they miss out on volume licensing opportunities and others may unknowingly be using unlicensed software which means their business may be at risk. So let me help you make the best decision for your situation.

I put together a blog post that lays out licensing basics for any organization that needs to license software for more than 5 or less than 250 devices or users. It details the different ways you can buy a license and what choices are available for volume licensing, which can give you pricing advantages and provide flexible options for your business.

As technology evolves and more organizations move to online services such as Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, Windows Azure Platform, Windows Intune and others, it's important to understand how to purchase, activate and use online service subscriptions to get the most out of your investment. Once purchased through a volume licensing agreement or the Microsoft OnlineSubscription Program, these services can be managed through web portals:

Learn more »

How are we doing? If you ever want to give me or my team some direct feedback, feel free to email me directly at ruth.morton@microsoft.com, connect with me on LinkedIn or catch me online on twitter at @ruthm

Licensing Resources:

Additional Resources You May Find Useful:

  • TechNet Evaluation Center
    Try some of our latest Microsoft products for free, Like System Center 2012 Pre-Release Products, and evaluate them before you buy.
  • Springboard Series
    Your destination for technical resources, free tools and expert guidance to ease the deployment and management of your Windows-based client infrastructure.
  • AlignIT Manager Tech Talk Series
    A monthly streamed video series with a range of topics for both infrastructure and development managers. Ask questions and participate real-time or watch the on-demand recording.

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