A Brief Introduction to Select

Licensing, many think is labyrinthine and confusing, and the aim of this article is to begin to de-mystify how Trusts in England can procure software licensing in the most cost-effective way that meets 3 key imperatives:
• How to buy software licensing legally
• How to manage your software license assets
• How to procure licenses at the most advantageous cost

Microsoft offers a wide range of vehicles for buying licenses to run software on a day to day basis. Later articles will feature details of the Enterprise Agreements in place for Trusts in England, Scotland and Wales, together with some of their benefits. For now we will focus on Select.

Select is a transactional agreement based on ad hoc licensing requirements. It provides the most flexible and cost effective means of licensing software on a pay as you go model. The framework Select Agreement in place ensures that licenses procured under this arrangement are legally procured.

In essence Select agreements are based on organisations forecasting their requirements over a three year period and receiving a price point for software systems, applications and servers that is based on achieving the volumes that have been predicted. For NHS Trusts this forecasting becomes irrelevant as the purchasing power of the NHS as a whole dictates that Trusts receive the benefits of the highest forecast of licenses to be acquired, and therefore the greatest level of discount. For comparison let us look at the other means of software procurement. A Windows Standard Server, for example could cost approximately £750 when purchased under the Open Licensing Programme. Under Select with the purchasing power of the NHS behind it the price for a Windows Standard Server comes down to about £375.

Select as a managed license programme in conjunction with your preferred reseller can also offer substantial benefit to those who wish to manage their license estate more accurately. Increasingly we come across stories where Trust IT departments for example are unaware of licenses bought by departments, organisations or individuals that don’t correspond to the Trust’s IT policy or recommendations. In one extreme case we have even come across pirated software in use. If all procurement within a Trust goes through a single enrolment, this affords the responsible officer in the organisation to ensure policies and standards are upheld. It also means that the licenses and associated paperwork can be kept centrally and securely. This sort of management is a service that your license provider or reseller can offer and fits in with the Software Asset Management recommendations and toolset available from here : http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sam/default.mspx

If you want to learn more about Select, the benefits that accrue under it with Software Assurance, how to manage your license estate or understand your current license position, then contact either your preferred reseller, or your Microsoft Account Manager- details of whom are available from elsewhere on the site.