OEM Licensing
OEM licensing is pre-installed on a computer when you buy it. When you order a computer (or design one on a configurator) with Microsoft Office, it is automatically an OEM version. OEM licensing lives and dies on the original hardware. You cannot reuse or reassign an OEM license to another computer. If a user has a desktop and a laptop, you must have two OEM licenses. OEM licenses are the least expensive and must be purchased with new hardware.
Open /Volume Licensing
Open Licensing is a corporate license that is purchased as a standalone product. You own perpetual rights to the quantity of licenses that you purchase. You also get downgrade rights to a comparable prior version of the product. Open Licensing , unlike OEM licensing, is not assigned to only one machine. You may install the software on any devices up to the number of licenses that you purchased. Additionally, if a single user is assigned both a laptop and desktop, then only one Open Office license is needed. Licenses are paid in full at the time of purchase. Minimum entry point is five licenses.
Optionally, you may purchase Software Assurance (SA). SA adds an upgrade benefit, meaning that all active SA clients get new versions of the software covered under SA. Additionally, for each Office Application License covered with SA, a user of the licensed device is entitled to one copy of the corresponding product for use at home. SA contracts are renewable every two years.
Open Value Company-Wide Subscription
Open Value Subscription is a delivery method where you “rent” licenses in a three-year agreement. The agreement includes SA and all its benefits. All of the devices capable of running Office are tallied. You then enter into an agreement for that number of licenses. You make annual payments for the licensing. License counts are trued-up annually. If you choose not to renew your subscription after the third year, you must remove the software. You do not have any ongoing product usage rights.
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CRU Solutions helps small and medium-sized enterprises select and manage the right computer techology. Contact Janet Gehring at janet.gehring@crusolutions.com or 440-325-4061 to learn more.