Volume Licensing Programs

Customers can purchase Office suites through three different families of volume licensing programs. Major differences between the programs include minimum purchase quantities, discount levels, and whether a Software Assurance (SA) subscription, which offers product upgrades and other benefits in return for an annual fee, is optional or a requirement for all purchases.

Open is a family of volume license purchase programs for small organizations or departments (generally, fewer than 250 PCs). It offers most Microsoft business products at discounts of 10% to 40% from the retail price. (Office is an exception, and may be more expensive when purchased through an Open plan than when purchased at retail, although customers get other benefits from Open.) The five variants—Open Business, Open Volume, Open Value, Open Value Company-Wide, and Open Value Subscription—differ in their minimum purchase commitments and discount levels. The Open Value plans require that SA be purchased for all licenses; SA is an option in the other two Open programs but is not required.