Microsoft

Microsoft Exchange 2010 Licence Grant Offer
Microsoft is granting Select, Enterprise, Open License, Open Value and Campus and School customers one complimentary Exchange Server 2010 Standard licence for each data centre where the customer has at least one server licensed for Exchange Server 2007 Standard with active Software Assurance as of 1 November 2009.

For further details contact your Phoenix Account Manager on 0845 265 1265 or email info@phoenixs.co.uk.

Office 2010, Sharepoint 2010, Project 2010 and Visio 2010 have all reached the Beta stage and are available for download.
Microsoft Office 2010 provides rich and powerful new ways to deliver work. New features include enhanced tools, customisable templates, photo editing and the ability to work with multiple people from different locations at the exact same time using new co-authoring capabilities. By offering more ways to access files from virtually anywhere, Office 2010 gives users greater control.

Microsoft SharePoint 2010 enables organisations to connect and empower people through an integrated set of rich features. SharePoint 2010 facilitates business collaboration in its broadest sense and helps colleagues, partners and customers to work together in new and effective ways.

Microsoft Project 2010 provides teams and organisations of all sizes with the right project collaboration tools and a pathway to step up to more advanced Project and Portfolio Management capabilities as their needs evolve.

The advanced diagramming tools of Microsoft Visio 2010 help you simplify complexity with intuitive and professional-looking diagrams, dynamic and data-driven visuals and new ways to share these on the Web in real-time.

Contact your Phoenix Account Manager about upgrading on 0845 265 1265 or email info@phoenixs.co.uk.

NEW! Semblio for Education
Now you can make your instructional materials even more valuable. Microsoft Semblio provides easy access to the power of Microsoft .NET and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) by tailoring the Microsoft development platform specifically to the education market.

For further details contact your Phoenix Account Manager on 0845 265 1265 or email info@phoenixs.co.uk.

Exchange 2010
Now, more than ever, your organisation requires cost-effective and flexible communication tools. With Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 you can achieve new levels of reliability and performance with features that simplify your administration, help protect your communications, and delight your users by meeting their demands for greater mobility.

Microsoft Exchange Server, the cornerstone of Microsoft's Unified Communications solution, is a flexible and reliable messaging platform that can help you lower your messaging costs by 50-80%, increase productivity with anywhere access to business communications, and safeguard your business with protection and compliance capabilities that help you manage risk.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008 R2 is now available and delivers valuable new functionality and powerful improvements to the core Windows Server operating system

Visit http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/default.aspx

Click here to read more on 'Time to Make the Shift to Windows Server 2008?'

microsoft Windows 7
If you've been thinking about investing in new desktop software for your organisation, the arrival of Windows 7 offers the perfect opportunity to begin preparing for a transition to the future.

Click here to read Windows 7 features in depth

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor
Download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if your PC is ready for Windows 7. It scans your hardware, devices and installed programs for known compatibility issues, gives you guidance on how to resolve potential issues found, and recommends what to do before you upgrade.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b544e90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15&displayLang=en

UK Pilot of new Microsoft Licensing Scheme for schools
Phoenix Software is taking part in this new pilot scheme from 3rd August 2009. The scheme is designed to allow schools to choose a mix of subscription and perpetual licences, by allowing them to choose which computers they want to buy subscriptions for (which means they always have the latest version of Microsoft software).

Click here for more details on the UK Pilot of new Microsoft Licensing Scheme for schools

Licence Dashboard™ - A Finalist!
Phoenix Software's Licence Dashboard™ tool has been selected as a 2009 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference Awards finalist in Licensing Solutions, Software Asset Management.

Click here to read more about our Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference Award

Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008
Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008 is an integrated application lifecycle management (ALM) product family with the tools and processes that help development teams improve their skills and work more effectively together.

Click here for more information on the Microsoft Visual Studio Team System

Microsoft & Buying Solutions - Public Sector Agreement
New Microsoft and Buying Solutions Public Sector Agreement saves money and delivers more choice

For more information, click here to read the full article 'Public Sector Agreement'

Microsoft Online Services
World-class products, delivered as a subscription service, hosted by Microsoft and sold by Phoenix

Click here to read more about Microsoft Online Services

Expression Web 2
(formerly Office SharePoint Designer 2007)
A professional design tool to create modern, standards-based sites and Web applications that use ASP.NET or PHP, Microsoft Expression Web 2 is available either separately or as part of the full Expression Studio 2.

Microsoft Home Use Programme
The Microsoft Home Use Programme is now managed by Phoenix Software.

We are able to offer a valuable service to our customers in managing the promotion of the Home Use Programme (HUP) and processing the orders for all Microsoft Home Use licences.

Click here to read more about the Microsoft Home Use Programme

Please note that Academic Select and Voluntary customers are not eligible for the HUP and that all purchases from these schemes are for personal use only.

MICROSOFT OFFICE 2007 KNOWLEDGE REFRESH
QA (formerly QA-IQ), the UK's largest provider of technical training, has been working with Phoenix Software for almost two years, supporting the delivery of Microsoft end user training as part of the Software Assurance scheme.

Click here for more information on the Microsoft Office 2007 Knowledge Refresh

MAKE SURE YOUR WEB APPLICATIONS ARE IE8 COMPATIBLE
Internet Explorer 8, beta 2, offers advanced browser features and functionality - a range of resources are available in the Windows Internet Explorer Developer Centre to help with development and compatibility checking of IE8 applications.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/ie/default.aspx

SOFTWARE PRODUCT LICENCE DEPENDENCY REFERENCE GUIDE
Microsoft has released a 'Software Product Licence Dependency Reference Guide' designed to help customers of Microsoft Volume Licence programmes with a comprehensive list of Microsoft software licences and dependent licences that are required under the terms of VL programmes. If you require any 'translation', please speak to your Phoenix Account Manager.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/bb421517.aspx?wt.svl=techcentersflyout

Microsoft Search Server 2008

Microsoft Search Server 2008 offers a familiar search experience, empowering your people to connect with your organisation’s existing information and business systems. Search Server 2008 helps you build an enterprise-class search infrastructure that provides the right balance of control and simplicity.

Microsoft System Center Essentials 2007 SP1 (Essentials 2007)

A new management solution in the System Centre family of IT systems management products. Essentials is specifically designed for IT professionals working in midsize businesses who often face IT challenges similar to those of larger enterprises - troubleshooting end user problems, automating management tasks, managing multiple systems, and diagnosing and resolving IT problems.

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 provides a management solution for the virtualised data centre that helps enable centralised management of the IT infrastructure, increased server utilisation and dynamic resource optimisation across multiple virtualisation platforms.

Virtual Machine Manager delivers the following key features:

• Designed for managing virtual machines running on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and Microsoft Hyper-V Server
• Virtualisation support for virtual machines running on Microsoft Virtual Server and VMware ESX
• End-to-end support for consolidating physical servers onto a virtual infrastructure

microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V

Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, the next-generation hypervisor-based server virtualization technology, allows you to make the best use of your server hardware investments by consolidating multiple server roles as separate virtual machines (VMs) running on a single physical machine. With Hyper-V, you can also efficiently run multiple different operating systems - Windows, Linux, and others - in parallel, on a single server and fully leverage the power of x64 computing.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008
SQL Server 2008 delivers on Microsoft's Data Platform vision by helping your organisation manage any data, any place, any time. It enables you to store data from structured, semi-structured and unstructured documents such as images, music, documents directly within the database. SQL Server 2008 delivers a rich set of integrated services that enable you to do more with your data such as query, search, synchronize, report and analyse. Your data can be stored and accessed in your largest servers within the data centre all the way down to desktops and mobile devices, enabling you to have control over your data no matter where it is stored.

microsoft Exchange Server 2007

While security is clearly a priority, IT is ever cognisant of the need to manage cost. Time, money, and resource constraints are a fact of life as IT is made accountable to do more with less. As a result, IT professionals look for a messaging system that addresses both enterprise and employee needs while also being cost-effective to deploy and manage.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 has been designed specifically to meet these challenges and address the needs of the different groups who have a stake in the messaging system. The new capabilities of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 deliver the advanced protection your company demands, the anywhere access your people want, and the operational efficiency you, in IT, need.

Microsoft Core Client Access Licence Suite

The Microsoft Core Client Access Licence (CAL) Suite gives customers a simple, cost-effective way to establish an investment in key Microsoft technologies through a single licence agreement. The Microsoft Core CAL Suite encompasses four fundamental Microsoft server products that provide your people with identity management, directory services, enterprise communication (email, calendar functions and scheduling), collaborative workspaces and asset management. The Microsoft Core CAL Suite presents outstanding value and cost savings for customers looking to extend the capabilities of the Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office system platforms.

• Windows Server 2003 R2 CAL
• Exchange Server 2007 Standard CAL
• Office Sharepoint Server 2007 Standard CAL
• System Management Server (SMS) 2003 R2 Configuration Management Licence

microsoft Windows Vista Business

Windows Vista Business is the first Windows operating system designed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses. You'll empower your entire business to work more efficiently with a stunning and improved, simple-to-use interface that makes it easier to search and find the information you need quickly and easily, both on your PCs and on the web. With powerful new safety features, you're in control and can better protect the key information that is the life of your business and that builds the trust of your customers.

Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Home Premium is a great choice for going beyond email and Web surfing to improve personal productivity and enjoy all kinds of digital entertainment. You can search for anything on your computer from virtually anywhere. You'll get improved performance and better protection for your PC, your personal information and your family. You’ll find more ways to have fun with your music, TV, games and digital media. Plus, if you have a laptop, you'll love the new way your computer connects to wireless networks and manages battery life.

microsoft Office SharePoint Server

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 is a new server programme that is part of the 2007 Microsoft Office system. Your organisation can use Office SharePoint Server 2007 to facilitate collaboration, provide content management features, implement business processes, and supply access to information that is essential to organisational goals and processes.

microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 for Windows

Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 provides people at home or work with a comprehensive set of tools that helps them gather and consolidate virtually any type of information, find what they are looking for quickly, and easily share information with others across geographical or organisational boundaries so they can deliver better results faster.

Office Ultimate 2007 includes the entire Microsoft Office toolset that you’re accustomed to working with at the office: Microsoft Office Word 2007, Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager, Microsoft Office Access 2007, Microsoft Office Publisher 2007, Microsoft Office OneNote 2007, Microsoft Office Groove 2007, and Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007.

microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 for Windows

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 is the essential software suite for home computer users that enables you to quickly and easily create great-looking documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and organise your notes and information in one place, making it easier and more enjoyable for you to get things done.

The latest version features the Microsoft Office Fluent user interface that exposes commonly used commands, enhanced graphics, and formatting capabilities that enable you to create high-quality documents, plus a powerful note and information organisation tool, and more reliability and security with the Document Inspector tool and improved automatic document recovery. With these enhancements, Office Home and Student 2007 makes it easier and more enjoyable for you to get tasks done at home.

microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2008

Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition is a comprehensive set of tools that accelerates the process of turning the developer's vision into reality. Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition was engineered to support development projects that target the Web (including ASP.NET AJAX), Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, The 2007 Microsoft Office system, SQL Server 2008, and Windows Mobile devices. The number of platforms that developers must target to meet business needs is increasing rapidly. Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition provides the integrated toolset for addressing all of these needs by providing a superset of the functionality available in Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition.

microsoft Works 9
Works can help you coordinate everything from little tasks to large projects. You can stay on top of your busy schedule, update your contact list, manage a household budget and keep up with your correspondence. Works gives you the basic tools you need to make your tasks easier from start to finish.

• Use the Works Word Processor to easily create letters, resumes, greeting cards and more, with customisable templates, improved proofing tools and a built-in dictionary.
  
  
• Keep to-do’s organised, plan home improvements, or track your personal budget with the Works Spreadsheet.
  
  
• Combine up to 32 different calendars into one view to keep track of everyone’s plans with the Works Calendar.
  
  
• Store addresses, lists, or home inventories in the Works Database.

Share & edit Works Word Processor and Spreadsheet files with Microsoft Office Word and Microsoft Office Excel and vice versa.

Featured below are some other key products from the Microsoft range. For further information, simply click on the relevant link:

Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007

Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008

Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007

Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007

Microsoft Forefront

Microsoft Forefront Security Suite

Microsoft Forefront Client Security

Microsoft Forefront Client Security Enterprise Manager

Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server

Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint

Microsoft Forefront Server Security Management Console

Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007

Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server

Microsoft Intelligent Application Gateway 2007

Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services

Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007
Database administrators, email managers and other IT implementers and developers are looking for a better way to protect and recover data from key business applications like SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange, Windows SharePoint Services or file shares on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007
System Center Configuration Manager 2007 is the solution to comprehensively assess, deploy and update your servers, clients and devices - across physical, virtual, distributed and mobile environments. Optimised for Windows and extensible beyond, it is the best choice for gaining enhanced insight into, and control over, your IT systems.

Built on key Microsoft technologies, such as Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Windows Server Active Directory, and the Windows architecture, System Center Configuration Manager 2007enhances your insight into, and control over, your IT infrastructure. With Configuration Manager 2007, organisations can ensure that IT systems comply with desired configuration states to improve systems' availability, security and performance network-wide.

Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008
Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Suite provides multi-disciplined team members with an integrated set of tools for architecture, design, development, database development and testing of applications. Team members can continuously collaborate and utilise a complete set of tools and guidance at every step of the application life cycle.

Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007
Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 gives you robust project management tools with the right blend of usability, power and flexibility, so you can manage projects more efficiently and effectively. Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 includes all the capabilities in Office Project Standard 2007. In addition, Office Project Professional 2007 provides collaborative enterprise project management capabilities when used with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007.

Click here for more information on Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007

Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007
Professionals in IT, engineering and software development benefit from the diagramming solutions targeted toward those specific domain needs in Office Visio Professional 2007. Business professionals who want to link any diagram to business data can also benefit from the new Data Link functionality in Office Visio Professional 2007.

Click here for more information on Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007

Microsoft Forefront
Microsoft Forefront is a collection of business security products that helps provide protection for an organisation's network infrastructure. Microsoft Forefront helps to protect information and to control access across operating systems, applications and servers.

Microsoft Forefront Security Suite
Microsoft Forefront Security Suite helps you meet customer demand for comprehensive IT-infrastructure security on Microsoft Windows-based client desktops and laptops, servers and messaging and collaboration platforms. By combining on and off-premise security technologies, Forefront Security Suite provides the comprehensive, integrated, simplified IT-infrastructure protection you require.

Microsoft Forefront Client Security
Microsoft Forefront Client Security provides protection against malicious software for business desktop computers, portable computers and server operating systems. It also helps guard against emerging threats, such as spyware and unwanted software, as well as against traditional threats, such as viruses, worms and Trojan horses. Forefront Client Security provides central administration management and integrates with existing infrastructure software, such as Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).

Microsoft Forefront Client Security Enterprise Manager
The Client Security Enterprise Manager tool allows you to aggregate reporting and management of up to 10 Client Security down-level deployments. This allows you to manage up to 100,000 client computers from a single Client Security console.

There are two components to the Enterprise Manager installation:

• The Enterprise Manager server component
  
  
• The Enterprise Manager down-level component

These components are installed on top of Client Security installations.

Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server
Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server includes multiple scan engines from global security firms integrated into a single solution to help businesses protect their Microsoft Exchange Server messaging environments from viruses, worms and unwanted or dangerous file types.

Organisations can run up to five anti virus scan engines at once and in different combinations across the server system. Forefront Security for Exchange Server automatically downloads the latest signatures and optimises scan-engine use based on user settings. Many of the anti virus scan engines include heuristics technologies that can detect malicious code even before a signature is available. It has configurable file-filtering rules that help customers eliminate file types known for carrying viruses.

Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint
Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint integrates multiple scan engines from global security firms and provides content controls to help organisations protect their Microsoft Office SharePoint 2007 and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 environments from documents containing malicious code, disclosure of confidential information and unwanted content. Documents can also be scanned by using other administrator-defined content policies. All documents are scanned as they are uploaded to and retrieved from SharePoint libraries. Forefront Security for SharePoint also enables administrators to manage product configuration, operation, automated anti virus signature updates and reporting at the server and enterprise levels.

Microsoft Forefront Server Security Management console
Microsoft Forefront Server Security Management Console is part of the Microsoft Forefront server security family of products, which help organisations protect their Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 environments against viruses, worms, spam and inappropriate content.

Forefront Server Security Management Console allows administrators to easily and efficiently manage the configuration, deployment, updating and reporting for Forefront server security products throughout the enterprise.

Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007
Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 (ILM) is a solution that builds on the metadirectory and user provisioning capabilities in Microsoft Identity Integration Server 2003 (MIIS) and adds new capabilities for managing strong credentials such as smart cards, providing an integrated approach that pulls together metadirectory, digital certificate and password management, and user provisioning across Windows and other enterprise systems.

Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server
Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006 is an integrated network edge security gateway that helps protect IT environments from Internet-based threats while providing users fast and secure remote access to applications and data. ISA Server 2006 is available in two versions - Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition.

Microsoft Intelligent Application Gateway 2007
Microsoft's Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG) 2007 with Application Optimisers provides secure socket layer (SSL) virtual private network (VPN), a Web application firewall and endpoint security management that enable access control, authorisation and content inspection for a wide variety of line-of-business applications.

Together, these technologies provide mobile and remote workers with easy and flexible secure access from a broad range of devices and locations including kiosks, PCs and mobile devices.

IAG also enables IT administrators to enforce compliance with application and information usage guidelines through a customised remote access policy based on device, user, application or other business criteria.

Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services
Microsoft Windows Rights Management (RMS) Services is an information protection technology that works with RMS-enabled applications to help safeguard digital information from unauthorised use.

Rights Management Services includes the server technology that handles certificates and licensing, a desktop update and the software development kit (SDK). RMS helps organisations create reliable information protection solutions.

LICENSING FOR A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT
As virtualisation is an important and growing trend, and as many UK organisations are now incorporating virtual solutions within their IT infrastructures, Microsoft has been adapting its licensing models over the last couple of years so that they translate effectively in the new virtualised world.

From a licensing perspective, virtual solutions can be an attractive proposition. In some cases, one licence gives you the right to run one host operating system and unlimited virtual operating systems, so virtualisation can help you to stretch your IT budget that little bit further.

For a better understanding of Microsoft's Server Product Licensing in a virtual environment and advice on how best to remain compliant, contact your Phoenix Account Manager on 0845 265 1265.

Microsoft Open Value Programme

The Open Value programme is for small to medium-sized organisations with at least five desktop PCs to use and manage Microsoft software licences under a single agreement. Open Value offers simplified licence management, better control over the upgrade cycle and more predictable software costs annually.

The Open Value programme offers perpetual licences, which are everlasting and valid if the licensed product is being used in accordance with the licence-agreement requirements. Open Value programme customers own their licences and have perpetual use of the licensed products under their agreements as of the time the licences are acquired.

In addition to the two predefined desktop platforms - Microsoft Professional Desktop Platform and Microsoft Small Business Desktop Platform - the Open Value programme now offers a customised "build your own platform" model that will help give customers the flexibility they want without increasing complexity. Customers can mix and match products from the three desktop platform groups:

• Windows Desktop Operating System Licences
• Microsoft Office System Licences
• Server Client Access Licence (CAL) Suites

Initial order
For most products, customers who choose the non-company-wide option must acquire a minimum of five licence and Software Assurance packs, one processor licence and Software Assurance pack, or one MSDN subscription licence and Software Assurance pack. . For the company-wide option, customers must acquire a minimum of five licence and Software Assurance packs for one of the desktop platform products for all qualifying desktop PCs in their organisations. Customers can order Software Assurance for licences with current or expiring Software Assurance at any time during the Open Value programme agreement. For company-wide product licences, customers may only renew Software Assurance at the start of the agreement. The standardisation on which the company-wide option is based assumes that customers order Software Assurance for the number of qualified desktop PCs at the initiation of their Open Value company-wide agreement, even if the licences are already covered with Software Assurance through another agreement that has not yet expired.

Additional orders
Subsequent orders can be made until three years after the initial agreement and can be as small as one licence and Software Assurance pack. The price protection that comes with the Open Value programme company-wide option means that the price for desktop platform product licence and Software Assurance packs will not change for the term of the agreement. In addition, acquiring additional licences in the second and third years costs less because Software Assurance is prorated annually. Customers can install and use licensed products on additional desktop PCs as soon as needed, but they must place new orders for additional licensed products when installing and using the products.

Microsoft Open Volume 

Open Volume is designed for organisations that want to increase their up-front purchase in one or more product pools to gain deeper savings. The Open Volume option uses a system of product pools and points to establish purchase minimums for discounted prices. With Open Volume, software products are grouped into three product pools - applications, systems and servers. You can combine similar Microsoft software products in the product pools to receive volume pricing discounts.

Purchasing requirements:

• Education - minimum initial purchase, Level B - 150 points
• Business Applications - minimum initial purchase, Level C - 500 points

Microsoft Campus Agreement Programme

The Campus Agreement is for higher education institutions and offers the simplicity of counting people instead of computers. There are two pricing levels: Level A = 300 - 2999 unit count, Level B = 3000+ unit count.

Subscription licensing offers many benefits, including:

Easy compliance

Because all of your institution's users are covered throughout the subscription term, it's easy to be sure that your institution is fully licensed for the products you've selected.

Low administration
Subscription licensing eliminates the need to track licences for the selected products on every computer. This is especially helpful for managing software assets in a decentralised environment.

Stay current on technology

Subscription licensing allows your licensed users to run the most current version of the software products included in your subscription. Plus, your institution automatically receives installation media for application and system products that upgrade during your licensed term.

Simple budgeting and purchasing
One annual payment covers all of the products you have selected for the year.

Excellent value

By standardising on a platform of products, you reduce your total cost of software ownership while increasing productivity and access to current technology. Software Assurance Membership-including support resources, tools, and eLearning courses-is included with your licence coverage at no additional charge.

Microsoft School Agreement Programme

The School Agreement is for K-12 schools and preschools and makes it easy to license all of a school's computers by counting them just once per year. Through a flexible and simple format, it allows you to choose which products you wish to deploy on your PCs, making it easier for you to licence and distribute software with significant cost savings. There are two pricing levels, Level A = 50 - 2499 unit count and Level B = 2500+ unit count.

Subscription licensing offers many benefits, including:

Easy compliance
Because all of your school's computers are covered throughout the subscription term, it's easy to be sure that your school is fully licensed for the products you've selected.

Low administration
Subscription licensing eliminates the need to track licences for the selected products on every computer. This is especially helpful for managing software assets in a decentralised environment.

Stay current on technology
Subscription licensing allows your licensed users to run the most current version of the software products included in your subscription. Plus, your school automatically receives installation media for application and system products that upgrade during your licensed term.

Simple budgeting and purchasing
One annual payment covers all of the products you have selected for the year.

Excellent value
By standardising on a platform of products, you reduce your total cost of software ownership while increasing productivity and access to current technology. Software Assurance Membership - including support resources, tools, and eLearning courses - is included with your licence coverage at no additional charge.

MICROSOFT SUBSCRIPTION ENROLMENT FOR SCHOOLS PILOT (SESP)

Phoenix Software is taking part in this new pilot scheme from 3rd August 2009. The scheme is particularly suited to primary and secondary schools looking for a flexible, highly customisable subscription licensing agreement. It has been designed to allow schools to choose a mix of subscription and perpetual licences, by allowing them to choose which computers they want to buy subscriptions for (which means they always have the latest version of Microsoft software). They can then license other computers with Select licences.

It also offers options such as "per user" licensing which provides extra benefits such as staff and/or students being licensed to use the same software at school and on their own privately-owned computers. This offers a combination of low up-front cost and increased flexibility.

Under this agreement it is possible to license a single school, multiple schools or the entire school system*. Computers can be counted once per year, in order not to have to track every single computer purchase or lease throughout the 12-month term.

Key Benefits

• Assessment of software needs once per year
• One annual payment for all software at academic prices
• Access to the most current version of licensed software - customers are licensed to run any version of products, including product upgrades released during the designated agreement/order term
• Ability to downgrade to an earlier version of software
• Broad product selection available in all languages
• Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh platform
• Options for student licensing at home - PC-based licensing: Student Option licences all of your students to use products on their personally-owned computers. Minimum requirement of 100 units. Student and faculty/staff orders cannot be combined to meet the minimum requirement.
• User-based licensing: Use of software on personally owned computers by staff and students is included for those users licensed.
• Automatic media fulfillment - Institutions automatically receive one complimentary Product Welcome Kit containing CDs for all products, and also receive CDs for product upgrades occurring during the subscription term
  

Product Availability
Customer may order subscription licences for a wide selection of Microsoft software through the Subscription Enrolment for Schools UK Pilot programme.

The School Desktop package includes:

• Windows Vista Enterprise Upgrade
• Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 and Microsoft Office for Mac 2004 Professional Edition
• Microsoft Core CAL Suite

The School Desktop with Enterprise CAL includes:

• Windows Vista Enterprise Upgrade
• Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 and Microsoft Office for Mac 2004 Professional Edition
• Microsoft Enterprise CAL Suite

Server Products

• Exchange Server Standard (and Enterprise Edition)
• Exchange Server External Connector
• Office SharePoint Server
• SharePoint for Internet Sites
• SQL Server Standard (and Enterprise Edition)
• Systems Management Server
• Windows Server Standard (and Enterprise Edition)
• Project Server
• Project Server External Connector
• BizTalk Server Standard (and Enterprise Edition)
• Operations Management (MOM) Base Processor Licence
• MOM Application Management Pack Processor Licence
• Live Communications Server Standard (and Enterprise Edition)
• Windows Server Standard (and Enterprise Edition)
• Windows Server External Connector
• Windows Terminal Server External Connector

Renewing Agreement
Once a Master Agreement is in place, Subscription Enrolments are submitted for 12 or 36 months of licence coverage.

The options are:

• extend your subscription enrolment under the one-year licensed period
• submit a new subscription enrolment under the three-year licensed period
• exercise the buy-out option (see below)
• allow the subscription enrolment to expire, and stop using the software

Pricing Levels
Tiered price for non-perpetual licences covering all institution computers based on counting the PCs

Level A - Minimum 50 Units
Level B - 2,500 PCs or more

Contact Phoenix Software on 0845 265 1265 for specific pricing.

Buy Out
Customers wishing to convert their subscription licences to perpetual licences can do so through buy-out licences. It should be noted that the costs of this can be significant and should be fully understood as part of the decision to choose.

There is a reduced price for buy-out licences of 1.75 x the annual subscription fee for the main products (Windows, Office, Servers and CALs) if the school has held subscription agreement(s) for three years or more.

*Institution-wide coverage is optional although opting for institution-wide coverage results in improved pricing. Where multiple schools are covered, a list of participating schools is required

Microsoft Enterprise Agreement Programme

A premium Volume Licensing programme for large customers with more than 250 PCs who make a strategic choice to deploy Microsoft technology as their enterprise standard.

• Comprehensive benefits through Software Assurance, a maintenance programme that includes new version rights, training, and technical support.
  
  
• Three-year term, with three-year renewal option to maintain benefits
  
  
• Convenient access to software, worldwide coverage with automatic upgrades
  
  
• Option to pay annually for Office 2007, Windows Vista, and/or a Core CAL for all client PCs and the rights to run the software for as long as needed (perpetual) or only during the term of the agreement with Microsoft (subscription).
  
  
• Microsoft Windows Professional Desktop Operating System Upgrade.
  
  
• Cost amortised in annual payments over the three-year term. Price levels based on the number of qualified computers in the enterprise: Level A: 250 - 2,399 computers, Level B: 2,400 - 5,999 computers, Level C: 6,000 - 14,999 computers and Level D: 15,000+ computers.

Benefits of Enterprise Agreement

Enterprise Agreement offers many benefits, including:

• Volume pricing and the rights to the latest Microsoft software products selected in your agreement
  
  
• Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007, Windows Vista Enterprise operating system, and Microsoft Enterprise Client Access Licence Suite or
  
  
• Microsoft Professional Platform Products, including Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Microsoft Core Client Access Licence Suite.
  
  
• Additional products, available as needed.
  
  
• Amortised payments over a three-year term, with the option to renew with Microsoft Software Assurance only.
  
  
• A fixed, annual price per desktop for enterprise products based on the initial number of desktops enrolled.
  
  
• Centralised purchasing for your organisation, including for qualified affiliates worldwide.
  
  
• IT standardisation across the entire organisation.
  
  
• Microsoft Services Essential Support, which can help give your IT staff more time to concentrate on optimising information technology to support your business solutions.
  
  
• Software Assurance benefits, including new version upgrades, Home Use Programme, 24x7 phone support and Web support, Desktop Deployment Planning Services (DDPS), technical training, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Extended Hotfix Support.

The Select Licence Programme 

The Select Licence Programme is designed for corporate, government and academic organisations that have 250 or more desktop PCs and mixed product and purchasing requirements. Each product offering (Licence, Software Assurance and L&SA) is assigned specific point values to determine price levels. Points are calculated based on three product pools, with a minimum three-year forecast of points to be acquired for each price level: Level A: 1,500 - 11,999 points, Level B: 12,000 - 29,999 points, Level C: 30,000 - 74,999 points, Level D: 75,000+ points.

Benefits of Select Licence

• An incentive-based price structure that helps you get the best price based on your organisation's technology needs and volume of purchase.
  
  
• An annual payment plan if you add Microsoft Software Assurance at the time of purchase. Software Assurance helps you increase business productivity by ensuring access to the most current Microsoft products and solutions and by maximizing the skills and capabilities of your organisation's IT staff and end users through training and support.
  
  
• A flexible, pay-as-you-go purchasing model that gives you the freedom to purchase the software licences you need, when you need them, so you can start using the software immediately.
  
  
• Access to Microsoft Volume Licence Services (MVLS), a password-protected, secure Web site that offers electronic access to purchase history, order confirmations, and other helpful resources that help you manage your licences with ease and confidence.
  
  
• Instant access to hundreds of software titles through media kits so that you can easily evaluate, deploy, and train employees.

Microsoft Select Plus Overview

Based on customer research, Select Plus is designed for large organisations with multiple affiliates that want to purchase software licences and services at any business unit level while still getting the advantages of being a single organisation.

For example, if your company has several affiliates in different locations, Select Plus enables your affiliates to take advantage of price-level adjustments that are based on the actual purchase volume for your entire organisation. The affiliate registration form is just one page, so it is fast and simple to register each affiliate. With Select Plus, your company and its affiliates can purchase software licences any time, easing IT planning and deployment as your business needs change. In addition, the Select Plus agreement never expires.

The top five reasons to choose Select Plus include:

1. Superior value
A single, enterprise-wide contract offers the same pricing level for all business units.

2. Excellent benefits.
Add Microsoft Software Assurance to your agreement for a full 36 months and receive an annual payment plan.

3. Perpetual agreement.
Keep renewals at the IT budget level rather than the boardroom level.

4. Flexible structure.
Purchase the software licences you need, when you need them, so that you can start using the software immediately.

5. Better insight.
Clearly see your entire licence portfolio so it's easy to support asset management and reporting for all business units.

Compare Select Plus and Select Licence

Review the following feature comparison to help you determine whether Select Plus or Select Licence is right for your business.