Tip: Timing Volume Purchases for Maximum Advantage

Deadlines are a fact of life in managing volume license purchasing plans. The following dates are critical to watch:

• Anniversary dates in the Select License program, when purchases are tallied up to determine the discount level for the next year
• Expiration dates for Open License agreements, when they must be restarted with a qualifying purchase.

In addition, customers must track expiration dates for any purchases of Microsoft’s Software Assurance upgrade program in Open, Select, or Enterprise Agreements.

Failure to keep track of these dates can result in consequences ranging from minor discount adjustments to losses of thousands of dollars.

Select Anniversary Dates

Select discounts are based on forecasts of future purchases in the first year and on actual purchase history in subsequent years.

Two months before a Select anniversary, Microsoft sends a report to the customer describing how their purchase history matches their forecast. If they have purchased enough points to maintain or exceed their current discount, the customer does not need to take special action. If they have not made enough purchases to meet the discount level, their discount will be reduced to the next level, or cancelled entirely.