Getting Software Assurance

As a volume licensing customer, you can enhance your IT investments further with Software Assurance benefits, which apply across a broad range of licensing agreements.

Microsoft Volume Licensing is a cost-effective, flexible, and manageable way to acquire Microsoft software and cloud services. Software Assurance provides you with the tools you need to do more with your Microsoft IT investments. Software Assurance is only available through Volume Licensing and is purchased when you buy or renew a Volume Licensing agreement. It is included with some agreements and is an optional purchase with others. The Software Assurance benefits chart (PDF, 768) provides a summary of the benefits available by Volume Licensing agreement.

Software Assurance benefits include new product version rights, support, license mobility rights, and a unique set of technologies and services. Learn more about Software Assurance benefits and how each can contribute to your business needs.

Volume Licensing programs are tailored to the needs of different types and sizes of organization.

	Software Assurance	Number of users or devices required
Enterprise Agreement Enterprise Subscription Agreement	Included	500 or more
Enrollment for Education Solutions	Included	1000 or more
Microsoft Products and Services Agreement	Optional	250 or more
Open Value Open Value Subscription	Included	5 or more

Software Assurance is also available through Volume Licensing for government, education, and nonprofit organizations. See the Software Assurance benefits chart for commercial and government and education organizations for details on the benefits for each agreement type.

Find a Microsoft partner or visit Microsoft Volume Licensing to learn more about how to buy through Volume Licensing.

Activate and use

Depending on which agreement your organization has, you use one of two tools to manage your available Software Assurance benefits.

Activate through the VLSC

Your Software Assurance benefits are activated in the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). Before you can activate your Software Assurance benefits in the VLSC, your organization needs to provide you with Software Assurance Manager permissions. After you are signed in, you’ll find a complete list of your available Software Assurance benefits. Getting started and using each individual benefit may differ slightly, but the processes are similar for most. Review the VLSC Software Assurance Guide for steps to activate, download, and use your benefits. Sign in to the VLSC.

Activate through Business Center (MPSA only)

If your organization has a Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA), the Business Center is your destination for easy management of your Software Assurance benefits. Your Software Assurance benefits are ready to view and use once you sign in to the Business Center. When you are signed in, you’ll find instructions to get started with each benefit, links to more detailed information about each benefit, and sample communications to send to your users. Sign in to the Business Center.

Using Software Assurance benefits

Software Assurance benefits help organizations and industries like yours get the most from their Microsoft technology investments. Get to know which benefits your organization is entitled to through your Volume Licensing agreement and develop an action plan for activating and using them.

A consideration when choosing whether to have one or more individuals manage your organization’s Software Assurance benefits is the size of your organization and the scope of benefits that are available to you. A large enterprise that will access multiple benefits across multiple organizations may find decentralized benefits management most effective. A small or midsize organization may find it more efficient to centralize benefits management with one individual or department.