Microsoft Volume Licensing Glossary
Use this glossary to find definitions for terms used in the Microsoft Volume Licensing materials.
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 | A-I |
| L-Q |
| R-Z |
A-I
A
Affiliate
Any legal entity that owns, is owned by, or is under common ownership with the customer.
Authorization Number
The number assigned to the customer by Microsoft after initiating an Open License account. This number allows for reorders at the same discount level for two years.
Authorized Education Reseller (AER)
A software reseller authorized by Microsoft to sell Academic Edition software licenses to eligible education customers.
C
Client Access License (CAL)
A license granting access to certain Microsoft server software.
| • | User CAL |
| • | Device CAL |
| • | Core CAL |
| • | User Core CAL |
| • | Device Core CAL |
D
Distributor
An entity authorized by Microsoft to distribute Microsoft software.
E
eOpen
eOpen is a secure Web site that provides Open License customers access to Open License account information.
Effective Date
The date on which the term of an agreement commences. (Typically the date on which Microsoft accepts the agreement.)
Enrollment
A Microsoft enrollment provides the basic information to acquire licenses under a specific agreement. It is can be considered a sign-up form to participate in the Volume License program.
Enterprise Agreement
The Enterprise Agreement is designed for customers with centralized purchasing that also want to standardize their entire organization on Microsoft technology and maintain an information technology infrastructure on a standard platform of Microsoft software.
Enterprise Subscription Agreement
The Enterprise Subscription Agreement is designed for customers with centralized purchasing who also want to standardize their entire organization on Microsoft technology and maintain an information technology infrastructure on a standard platform of Microsoft software, but prefer to acquire licenses on a subscription basis and have nonperpetual use rights.
Enterprise Software Advisor (ESA)
A reseller that Microsoft authorizes to support Enterprise Agreement customers.
External Connector
A license that allows an unlimited number of external users to access a copy of the specified server software.
External User
External users include partners and end users that access a copy of the server software for which a license was acquired. External users do not include employees, independent contractors, agents, service providers, or other persons providing services to or on behalf of the organization holding the license. External users also do not include hosted-service users.
F
Full Packaged Product (FPP)-Retail
Physical, shrink-wrapped boxes of licensed product that can be acquired in a retail store or any software retailer.
H
Home Use Program
The Home Use Program is a benefit offered through Microsoft Software Assurance through which employees can get a licensed copy of Microsoft Office desktop applications, such as Microsoft Office Professional, Microsoft Project, and Microsoft Visio Professional, to install and use on a home computer. The Home Use Program benefit enables employers to offer employees flexible workspace options that can boost their productivity and enhance their overall work satisfaction.
I
Independent Software Vendor (ISV)
An ISV makes and sells software products that run on one or more computer hardware or operating system platforms. These software products are usually designed for niche markets, such as real estate brokers, time scheduling for healthcare personnel, barcode scanning, and stock maintenance.
Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Royalty Licensing Program
The ISV Royalty Licensing Program offers Independent Software Vendors a convenient way to integrate Microsoft software applications into their software business applications, replicate the solution, and distribute a fully licensed solution to their customers.
L-Q
L
L&SA
See License & Software Assurance.
Large Account Reseller (LAR)
A reseller that Microsoft authorizes to offer licenses to end-users under Select Agreements and Enterprise Agreements.
License
A license that provides the right to run the version of the software for which it is ordered.
License & Software Assurance (L&SA)
A single offering that combines a License and Software Assurance.
M
Microsoft Business Agreement
The umbrella agreement that covers common terms that remain constant throughout the duration of the relationship between a customer and Microsoft. The term of the Microsoft Business Agreement is perpetual, unless terminated by either party, and does not otherwise end with the expiration of any related Select Agreement or Enterprise Agreement.
Microsoft Volume License Services (MVLS)
Password-protected Web site that serves as a license management tool for customers. It displays a customer's license status, agreement numbers, online records, and other license information.
O
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
Provides software, such as Microsoft Windows desktop operating system, preinstalled when you purchase a new computer.
Open License
The Open License program is a Volume Licensing program under which the customer may acquire licenses at a price less than retail versions. Initial orders start with a minimum of five licenses. The customer (and its qualified affiliates, where applicable) may submit reorders under the same Open Licenses authorization number at any time during the two years following its initial order. The Open License is designed for customers who want easy transactions and the flexibility of acquiring licenses from a broad reseller channel that requires an initial acquisition of only five licenses.
| • | Open Business |
| • | Open License Volume |
Open License Value
The Open License Value program is designed for organizations with as few as five desktops and offers the benefits of Software Assurance.
Open Value Company-wide Option
The Open Value Company-wide option provides significant cost savings over other Open License options and a single price per desktop (five desktop minimum) for an entire organization. Customers have the option to spread the payment for their license annually and have control over software deployment, with the rights to deploy the latest software as needed or the option to deploy as a standard desktop across the organization. Customers have access to licenses for as long as they are needed (perpetual). See also Open Value.
P
Product List
A document listing all Microsoft software available under the Volume Licensing programs.
Product Pool (as described in the Product List)
Microsoft software is categorized into three pools: applications, systems, and servers.
| • | Applications. |
| • | Systems. |
| • | Servers. |
Product Use Rights (PUR)
Documentation provided by Microsoft or otherwise made available to you (either by publication on the World Wide Web or other reasonable means) that specifies terms and conditions applicable to your use of a particular product.
Q
Qualified Desktop
Refers to the personal desktop computers, portable computers, workstations, and similar devices that are used by and for the benefit of an organization. Qualified desktops do not include computers designated as a server, any system dedicated to run only line-of-business software, or any system running an embedded operating system (for example, Microsoft Windows).
Qualified User
Any individual person who accesses any copy of the server software that is licensed by an enrolled affiliate. If a person's access to this server software is solely pursuant to an External Connector License or in some other manner not requiring a CAL, then that person will not be considered a qualified user.
R-Z
R
Reseller
An entity offering Microsoft software.
S
Secondary Use Rights
The right to install a second copy of certain application software products on a portable computer, for the exclusive use of the primary user of the first copy.
Select License
The Select License is a three-year agreement for organizations that want a volume discount based on the ability to forecast their acquisitions.
Select Outsourcer
A vendor engaged by the customer to lease-finance or to manage on behalf of the customer information and data systems assets that include software licenses. The outsourcer and customer must sign and submit a Microsoft outsourcing enrollment.
Services Providers
An independent software vendor with hosted applications running on Microsoft technologies.
Service Provider Licensing Agreement (SPLA)
The SPLA enables an organization to license Microsoft products and use them to provide software services to its customers. Software services are services that an organization provides to its customers that display, run, access, interact, or are made available with licensed Microsoft products. These services may be provided from one or more data centers through the Internet, a telephony network, or a private network on a rental, subscription, or services basis, whether or not the service provider receives a fee. Software services exclude any services involving an installation of a Microsoft licensed product directly on any device that permits a customer to interact with the Microsoft licensed product.
Software Assurance
Microsoft Software Assurance gives you automatic access to new technology and provides productivity benefits, support, tools, and training to help deploy and use software efficiently.
Software Assurance Membership (SAM)
Software Assurance Membership (SAM) is established at the signing or renewal of an enrollment or agreement. SAM is available to customers who agree to acquire Software Assurance with all licenses acquired within a particular product pool under their enrollment or agreement. The Select enrollment has a check box for electing SAM. SAM is automatically included in Open License Value and the Enterprise Agreement because Software Assurance is included with all licenses acquired under these two programs. SAM is not available under Open Business or Open Volume.
Software Assurance Step-up License
A Software Assurance Step-up License allows a customer to upgrade from the standard edition of a product to an enterprise or professional edition with Software Assurance coverage included.
Solution Provider
A Microsoft Certified Solution Provider (MCSP) is a value-added provider that offers not only software licenses, but also services and support.
T
True Up
The Enterprise Agreement True Up requires an annual count of the number of qualified desktops, users, and processors added to the organization during the year.
V
Virtual Machine Technology
Virtual machine technology enables multiple operating systems to run on a single computer at the same time. It applies to both server and client hardware. Microsoft Virtual PC and Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 enable one or more x86-based operating systems to run on the same computer system. Virtual PC for Mac enables one or more other operating systems to run on the Macintosh operating system so that users can run a Microsoft Windows operating system and a Windows-based application on a Macintosh computer.
For more information, see the Virtual Machine Technology FAQ.