The Microsoft Product Licensing Advisor (MPLA), a Web site that customers and partners use for price estimates on volume-licensed software, will supplement its basic pricing and licensing information with links to other Microsoft products and solutions, including the Dynamics products. The MPLA will also be available in more languages.

Using the MPLA for Pricing

The MPLA is the most comprehensive pricing and licensing site on Microsoft's Web site, with prices for most products offered in volume licensing, including the Select and Enterprise Agreement plans. The site leads users through license configuration, letting them start with a volume plan or a product. Quotes on the site can be saved and then accessed by entering a code number. For example, a partner could configure a licensing purchase for a customer and the customer could then enter the code number to view the licenses purchased and their estimated price. The same code could then be sent to a reseller, who could provide a final quote.

The site also displays related information, such as links to product use rights and the Software Assurance (SA) upgrade and maintenance benefits that are available. Additionally, the site informs customers how much they will pay on a monthly basis if they purchase licenses through Microsoft Financing.

MPLA as Solution Directory

Because the site is the best source for volume pricing estimates from Microsoft, it is an important resource for customers and partners.

In Feb. 2007, Microsoft announced additional content for the site and expanded its scope: it now links to product sites and provides subsets of the Microsoft product list for particular IT solutions (such as automated sales or remote access services) or functionality (such as unified communications or business intelligence).

The MPLA displays the products that are part of Microsoft's solution, from which customers can choose quantities and licensing options.

Another 11 languages have been added; the MPLA is now available in 82 countries or regions and has local pricing information in 34 of those countries or regions.

The company has also added links—but no additional information or pricing—for the company's Dynamics line of business management products.

Potential Confusion

Adding the IT solutions or functional solutions to the MPLA is useful because these options generate a subset of only those products relevant to the solution, sparing users from scrolling through a long list of products. However, the new choices may leave many customers puzzled. The distinction between "IT solution" and "functionality" is not obvious and, since the goal of both is to display appropriate subsets of Microsoft products, probably not necessary.

Customers who select a "functionality" option are also faced with a choice of standardized or rationalized solutions, terms that are not explained. (They appear to refer to basic or more advanced product choices.)

The Dynamics listings will disappoint anyone who makes that choice. The MPLA is a slow Web site, and customers can get more Dynamics information faster by going directly to the Dynamics Web site.

Though the portal will remain valuable to partners who are already familiar with Microsoft's product lines and roadmaps, end users should do most of their product and licensing research before they work their way through the MPLA to ensure that they make the correct choices and can understand the options presented.

The MPLA is at www.microsoft.com/licensing/mplahome/faq.mspx.