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How to Buy

Buy or Renew Licenses through Microsoft Volume Licensing Programs

Microsoft Volume Licensing offers customized programs that are designed to meet the needs of your business. Tailored to the size and purchasing preference of your company, these programs provide simple, flexible, and affordable solutions that enable you to easily manage your licenses.

NoteThe following information is for the United States and Canada only. For information about how to acquire licenses in other countries, visit the Microsoft Volume Licensing Web site for your country or region.

Find the Microsoft Volume Licensing Web site for your region.

Step 1: Calculate the number of licenses your company needs

You can determine your company's licensing needs simply by taking inventory. To get started, count and record:

  • The number of servers in your organization.
  • The number of processors (CPUs) in each server.
  • The number of desktops in your organization.
  • The number of qualifying underlying operating system licenses on desktops within your organization.

Step 2: Review the Available Microsoft Volume Licensing programs

Microsoft Volume Licensing programs

  Open License Select License Enterprise Agreement Enterprise Subscription Agreement
Organization size Organizations that need as few as five desktop PCs 250 or more desktop PCs 250 or more desktop PCs 250 or more desktop PCs
Organization types Corporate, academic, charity, government Corporate, academic, government Corporate, government Corporate
Organization profile Designed for organizations that want an easy, one-time transaction process with the flexibility of acquiring licenses from a broad reseller channel Designed for midsize, large, and multinational organizations that have mixed Microsoft license requirements, decentralized purchasing, and the ability to forecast purchases Designed for midsize, large, and multinational companies that want to standardize their enterprise and that value the benefits of centralized purchasing Same as Enterprise Agreement, but offers the ability to lease rather than purchase licenses for one or more of the Microsoft enterprise products
Term Ability to purchase under the same authorization number for two years Three years, with the option to renew for one or three additional years Three years, with the option to renew for one or three additional years Three years, with the option to renew for one or three additional years
Sales channel A broad reseller channel Microsoft Authorized Large Account Resellers (LARs) only Microsoft Authorized LARs or direct relationship with Microsoft, supported by Enterprise Software Advisors (ESAs) Microsoft Authorized LARs or direct relationship with Microsoft, supported by Enterprise Software Advisors (ESAs)
Reorder minimums None None None None
Product fulfillment Media must be acquired separately Each enrollment receives one introductory Product Fulfillment Kit that contains media kits for the pools and language groups selected; updates are available for the term of the agreement Each enrollment receives one introductory Product Fulfillment Kit that contains media kits for the pools and language groups selected; updates are available for the term of the agreement Company receives Product Fulfillment Kits for software media on a regular basis throughout the term of the agreement
 
For more information Go to the Open License page Go to the Select License page Go to the Enterprise Agreement page Go to the Enterprise Subscription Agreement page

Step 3: Contact a Volume Licensing reseller

If you're ready to acquire or renew Microsoft Volume Licenses, contact your Microsoft partner, speak with a Microsoft representative, or find an authorized reseller near you. If you are not currently working with a Microsoft partner, contact an authorized Microsoft reseller for complete pricing and purchase information.

States and Canada

Find a reseller online, or call (800) 426-9400 in the United States or (877) 568-2495 in Canada.

Find an authorized reseller online.

Worldwide

If you are outside the United States and Canada, you can find a list of Volume Licensing contacts for your country or region on your regional Microsoft Volume Licensing Web site.

Find the Microsoft Volume Licensing Web site for your region.