Throughout the Vista / 2007 Office Launch events, I was asked by numerous partners about the licensing for Vista Ultimate in business environment and how it fits into volume license agreements. I contacted our Vista Group Manager for Partner Readiness , to make sure I had the latest and greatest information, which is outlined below. Hopefully, this will help clear up the questions so many of you had as to the reasons for the configuration with our licensing model. Believe it or not, there is a method to our madness!
Here's the Official word......
Windows Vista Enterprise, exclusively available to Software Assurance customers, is the premium business desktop operating system optimized for mid-sized and large global organizations. It is designed to help businesses significantly lower IT costs and reduce risks associated with desktop deployment and management. However, Software Assurance customers are also entitled to install Windows Vista Ultimate and there is some confusion around this.
Windows Vista Ultimate is a premium consumer OS for home and small business users. Although designed for home and small business use, Microsoft does offer Windows Vista Ultimate to Software Assurance customers as part of their agreement. However, we want to clearly inform our customers that Windows Vista Enterprise is optimized for them and that they should standardize on Windows Vista Enterprise as Windows Vista Ultimate is not designed for enterprise-wide deployment.
We recognize that some enterprises may want Windows Vista Ultimate in specific, unique settings, such as in conference rooms or media-related set-ups for a very limited number of PCs and have therefore made it available. The below points detail the limitations of Windows Vista Ultimate in an enterprise environment and clarify its availability through Software Assurance:
Limitations of Windows Vista Ultimate in an enterprise environment:
· Deployment & activation: As a consumer offering, Windows Vista Ultimate has consumer activation technology. It is activated with the same technology available in retail packaged product. Volume licensing keys are not supported. This means that each installation requires individual activation.
· Manageability: Windows Vista Ultimate contains consumer features, such as Windows Media Center, that are not manageable via group policy.
· Support: Windows Vista Ultimate is a consumer product and is supported under the terms of the consumer support lifecycle. Windows Vista Ultimate will be supported through standard support channels for either a minimum of 5 years from the date of the product’s general availability, or for 2 years after the successor product (N+1) is released, whichever is longer. Extended support is not offered for Windows Vista Ultimate.
Availability, fulfillment, and licensing details:
· Eligibility: Customers with Software Assurance in the systems product pool as of November 1, 2006 are eligible for this benefit during the term of their Software Assurance coverage. For each Windows license covered under Software Assurance, customers are eligible to run Windows Vista Ultimate on a desktop covered under Software Assurance during the term of their Software Assurance coverage.
· License keys: Customers with Software Assurance coverage for Windows can receive license keys for Windows Vista Ultimate from their Software Assurance call centers (not their activation call centers). Contact information for their Software Assurance call center, is available to customers via MVLS.
· Media fulfillment: Software Assurance customers can acquire Windows Vista Ultimate only via physical media. To receive physical media for Windows Vista Ultimate, customers must activate their Windows Vista Ultimate Software Assurance benefit on MVLS. Once this benefit is activated, a physical Software Assurance entitlement media kit will be shipped to the address they provide. SA entitlement media will be available as of January 2007. For customers that require additional media, it will be available for order through VL. Customers will not receive license keys with the media, and will have to contact their Software Assurance call centers for keys.
· Licensing differences with OEM versions: Windows Vista Ultimate is also available through OEMs. In addition to support differences mentioned earlier, there are two additional key differences in license rights between the OEM version, and the license rights provided via Software Assurance. The OEM version does not include re-imaging rights, which allow you to install a standard corporate image instead of using the OEMs’ pre-installed OS. Finally the OEM license also does not provide downgrade rights to operating system versions Windows 2000 and earlier
For a detailed FAQ on this topic will be posted in the coming days to https://partner.microsoft.com/softwareassurance