Microsoft products are as commonplace in a business office as swivel chairs and dress down Fridays, with companies enjoying the benefits of product suites like Office 365. However, with discussions about the recent spate of Microsoft software asset management (SAM) reviews circulating through the business community, many companies are left unsure whether or not their products are licensed correctly. Luckily, we’re here to lay out the facts and let you know exactly what the Microsoft licences are all about.

 

 

So what exactly are these software reviews all about? Simply put, it’s an audit that will ensure your company has the correct licences for the Microsoft software you use in your business.

The word ‘audit’ always fills business owners with dread but there’s not too much to panic about here, providing everything is up to date with your licences. Even if you do identify an issue with your licences, it’s easily corrected by purchasing the correct agreements but it’s better to be proactive and get things sorted now, rather than wait for an audit to take place and potentially incur fines.

Microsoft has a range of products and solutions.

If you’re unsure whether or not your software has the correct licencing there are a few things to take into account. First of all, consider whether your business has grown since you first purchased your licences – did you originally start out with a small team of ten, only to see rapid growth that now sees you running a team of fifty employees? If that’s the case, you may want to check your licence agreements to ensure things aren’t a little lacking. On the flipside, this is also a good opportunity to check you aren’t overspending on unneeded licences, particularly if the size of your team has reduced since its inception.

Additionally, you may want to turn to an IT support company to help identify your usage and ensure there aren’t any discrepancies in your licensing agreement. Microsoft have tried to keep their licensing rules and regulations as simple as possible, but there are still lots of different schemes (Open, Open Value, Select Plus, MPSA) and there’s always room for misunderstandings and it’s better to be safe than sorry, particularly where your business is concerned.  Microsoft are planning to replace all of the volume licensing agreements with the MPSA agreement over the next few years so the rules will change again.

If all of this seems like too much of a headache then your best option might be to outsource your IT support and let techrelate handle your licensing. techrelate understand all the different licensing models available from Microsoft and we can ensure your business is correctly covered.  In addition if you switch to one of our various IT Support Packages designed to suit your business and you’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief if a SAM review request is sent to you by Microsoft.

Now you know about the importance of Microsoft licencing and how techrelate can worry about this for you, get in touch with us at licensing@techrelate.co.uk to book an appointment and find out more about what we can offer your business.