Similarly, Microsoft Tier D pricing is available for businesses that meet the discount threshold. 2 Online services refer to applications hosted in Microsoft datacenters whose client bits may or may not be installed locally. They are calculated monthly and invoiced annually for the duration of the contract. The new Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA) removes much of the bureaucracy that exists today around the Enterprise Agreement and is a single, modular electronic contract that exists directly between Microsoft and the customer. Under this Agreement, Microsoft will charge Customer directly for advertised rates for Azure Services used, and support will be provided directly by Microsoft. The Microsoft Customer Agreement is supported by Microsoft`s inside sales team. This is a direct agreement that does NOT include a partner. Currently, customers who choose the new Microsoft Customer Agreement (McA) no longer have access to APIs to obtain governance, management, consulting, tag and resource management services, or security services managed by third parties. Partners do not have access to any of the Azure portals and therefore cannot help you with usage, usage, or technical difficulties.

For starters, you need to have at least 250 devices or users to be eligible, although under the right circumstances we can still put the EA into service, even if you`re not quite 250 seats away. EAs are by far the best value for companies looking to purchase cloud services and software licenses as part of a deal. As part of Microsoft`s ongoing efforts to consolidate the contract offering and engage customers in Microsoft`s product portfolio, they announced Server & Cloud Enrollment (SCE). The announcement returned in Q4 2013 (you can read more in a separate blog post here), but it`s only now that many companies are facing this change. If you are one of them, there are a few things to know. On March 1, Microsoft introduced a new license agreement specifically for Azure provisioning: Microsoft Customer Agreement created to replace Azure Only Server and Cloud Enrollment (SCE) and Azure on your Desktop Enterprise Agreement. Be sure to read the new Microsoft agreements carefully. Ask well in advance so you`re ready to ask questions and make change requests that best meet your business needs. In most cases, Microsoft`s account team focuses solely on products and services. It`s easy for discussions about terms and conditions to become a last-minute issue, which can put a customer in a stressful and not ideal position. Get help from an independent Microsoft licensing expert to objectively analyze how a move to SCE affects your costs, usage rights, and operations.

and how your software asset management practices may need to change as a result of this license change. Come to the table with confidence and confirmation that you fully understand all aspects of the SCE agreement and its impact on your business. Mystery means margin for Microsoft and cost for you – the sooner you educate yourself and analyze your options, the better. Leave a comment to let us know what you think of this topic! If you are in one of the above agreements, Microsoft Inside Sales will contact you to discuss the Microsoft Customer Agreement. The table below compares the new MCA offering to today`s existing CSP option and outgoing EA: If you have any questions, please contact a sign-in account manager to speak with one of our Microsoft licensing experts today. YES, you do! You do not need to sign an MCA. You may also want to consider the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program. SCE also offers the advantage that all existing registrations are grouped under one roof. Organizations can manage on-premises and Microsoft Azure (cloud) licenses under a single registry.

With Software Assurance, SCE offers the ability to move existing licenses to the cloud, with a very good incentive to Microsoft Azure. It is not yet clear whether all customers will benefit financially; Some scenarios do not seem to bring savings. SCE is only for customers who want to standardize on Microsoft and cloud technologies. The obligation applies to the entire installation base, but customers can choose the products they wish to launch as part of the new registration. Starting in August 2019, you will no longer be able to renew or sign a new Azure SCE only, or add new Azure services to a current desktop registry. The SCE pursues the theme of an additional discount – but there are other rules and requirements that may surprise potential customers. The first rule is that a customer must commit to their entire product footprint, similar to the desktop commitment under the Enterprise Agreement and Enterprise Products (Office, CAL, and Windows operating system). Thus, not only do you have to meet the minimum purchase requirement, but you now have to commit to purchasing and maintaining Software Assurance throughout your environment. The second difference is that a customer now has the choice to purchase perpetual licenses (as always) or subscription licenses.

As part of this new subscription offering, Microsoft now requires a customer to report and pay for usage on a monthly basis, rather than on an annual basis, as with the STANDARD Enterprise Agreement (EAS) subscription. For more information, see the Microsoft Volume Licensing webpage, where you can find a server and cloud registration datasheet and frequently asked questions. If you`re already an SCE customer and are currently below the new threshold, you can take advantage of a single renewal exception that extends your current terms and conditions, including Azure engagement thresholds. If you`re interested in Azure on a new SCE, consider purchasing before the changes take effect on October 1 to secure the lower threshold. .