Evaluating Enterprise Agreements

An Enterprise Agreement (EA) is the simplest way to license all the PCs in an organization with standard Microsoft software, and it offers the best discounts of any Microsoft volume licensing program, but it’s not necessarily the best choice for every customer. The selection of software available in an EA, an organization’s business and IT decision-making structures, its IT roadmap, and its negotiating clout are among the factors that determine whether an EA—including renewal of an existing EA—is the right fit for a customer. Customers should have software asset management tools in place that can help them make the right choices.

Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Plans

Microsoft’s volume licensing plans offer customers several benefits, including the following:

• Lower prices on software
• Tracking of software purchases over time and regions for easier planning and compliance
• Access to special benefits and software
• Predictable and zero-interest installment payments (with some plans)