Are you fully utilising your Microsoft Enterprise Agreement?

What is an Enterprise agreement?

The Enterprise Agreement remains the best Microsoft licensing vehicle for organisations with 250 or more personal computers. It offers cost savings beyond standard license pricing, helps your business standardise IT across the enterprise, simplifies license management, and provides comprehensive Software Assurance benefits.

Microsoft States:
“A key challenge with Software Assurance, however, is that it can be difficult for customers to take advantage of all the tools and benefits that are offered. When SA benefits are underused, customers are potentially leaving cost savings and opportunity for improved return on investment (ROI) on the table.”

What does the agreement include?

1. Free enrollment programs:

Microsoft has extended the value of the Enterprise Agreement by creating enrollments that help you license solution-focused technology suites of the most popular Microsoft Server products.

2. Training Vouchers:

Technical training - With Software Assurance technical training, you get instructor-led, technical classroom training taught by a Microsoft Learning Partner.

End-user training - With Software Assurance end-user training, you can help your employees gain skills to be more productive with their current software, or ready your employees for new versions with individual, self-paced interactive training delivered via Internet or intranet (e-learning) and/or demonstration sessions developed for larger groups by DSP Global Microsoft experts.

3.Home use program:

Your employees can get the latest version of the Microsoft Office suite to use on their home computer through a low-cost download. The idea is that when employees use the same software at home and work, they naturally gain more skills which helps improve productivity.

Software Assurance Planning Days

As part of your Enterprise Agreement you are assigned 1, 3, 5, 10, or 15 Planning Days (as determined by your Software Assurance coverage). These days are designed to provide the following:

• Assess how Microsoft technology can help lower costs and optimise your infrastructure
• Receive the latest best practices and tools from Microsoft
• Build a customised deployment, migration, or business value plan

How can DSP help my organisation maximise our Enterprise Agreement?

By utilising these planning days DSP can offer structured consulting engagements to help ease your implementation planning of Microsoft software and optimise your business processes. Planning Days bring you Microsoft technology expertise, insight into software functionalities, and tools and resources, delivered by a Microsoft certified partner qualified to address your unique needs.

Planning days can cover the following areas:

1. Azure cloud solutions

DSP helps you understand what Windows Azure can do for your business and identify projects that are best suited for this public cloud offering. Assess web and line-of-business applications, and extend your on-premises applications to the public cloud to help reduce IT complexity and costs.

2. SharePoint and Office 365

DSP helps you develop customised deployment plans for your specific environment and assess the overall impact of implementing a SharePoint or SharePoint Online solution. Evaluate SharePoint Online through the Office 365 pilot, which shows Office 365 service features within your own environment to help you adopt a cloud-ready desktop.

3. SQL Server and CRM Dynamics

DSP provides in-depth assessment and planning for deploying, upgrading, or migrating to SQL Server and implementing or upgrading Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Engagements can help you review architectural and business considerations and create a detailed implementation plan.

How do I find out if my organisation has a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement?

Contact DSP to find out who your Microsoft Large Account Reseller (LAR), we can then clarify your agreement and the number of Planning Days that have been assigned to you.