Activating your Open Value Software Assurance benefits, step by step (Part 1)

  • Article

If you have Software Assurance, you have access to a great deal of benefits available to you through the Software Assurance Program, all you have to do is activate them. For instance, you receive the benefit of Microsoft Office Home Use Rights for every Microsoft Office license you have Software Assurance on at work. So if you have 10 Microsoft Office licenses with Software Assurance, you have 10 Microsoft Office Home Use Rights. Are you using them yet? 

 

NOTE: The steps below are for Software Assurance purchased through the Open Value Licensing Program (Remember, the Open Business Licensing Program is designed for clients who want Licenses only. The Open Value Licensing Program is designed for clients who want Software Assurance benefits as well. You can learn more about the differences in the two licensing programs by viewing the replay of my "Introduction to Open License for Partners" webcast. I will post a separate step by step containing instructions for activating any Software Assurance benefits your clients may have acquired through Open Business a little later.)

Ok, here’s how you activate your Open Value Software Assurance benefits (and Partners, make sure your clients know this and are activating their benefits when you do the install so they can start benefiting from them right away):

Step 1: Have your license information ready. Before you can activate your Software Assurance benefits, you’ll need:

  • Your license agreement number as found on your agreement summary
  • The last name and e-mail address of the person in your company who receives your volume license notices

Step 2: Visit Microsoft Volume License Services (MVLS) at https://licensing.microsoft.com to begin activating your Software Assurance benefits and select the employees you authorize to use those benefits.

On the MVLS website, there are steps to take for both the person who receives your volume license notices and the Software Assurance Benefits Administrator. Here are the steps for both:

Steps for the person who receives your volume license notices:

  1. After signing your Microsoft Volume Licensing agreement, you will receive a welcome e-mail with access to a dedicated customer Web site for managing your Software Assurance benefits and licensing agreements.
  2. If you do not already have a Passport account, create one when prompted.
  3. Create a MVLS account.
  4. Assign a Benefits Administrator to manage the Software Assurance benefits for your company.
  5. Microsoft will send a welcome e-mail to the Benefits Administrator.
  6. After the Benefits Administrator registers on MVLS, they will assign permissions to manage specific Software Assurance benefits.

Steps for Software Assurance Benefits Administrator:

  1. Visit Microsoft Volume Licensing Services (MVLS).
  2. If you do not already have a Passport account, create one when prompted.
  3. Create a MVLS account.
  4. Review the Software Assurance summary page.
  5. Click “enroll” to access your company’s benefits.
  6. Review and accept the terms and conditions of the benefits.
  7. Set up a list of approved users.
  8. Make sure to let your IT, human resources, and training groups know about the benefits that relate to them.
  9. Additional assistance is available by clicking the RoboHelp link within the MVLS site.

NOTE: Additional resources are also available at https://www.microsoft.com/activate to assist you in activating your Software Assurance benefits such as:

  • Access to on-demand Software Assurance webcasts
  • An online training course to help guide you through the activation of your Software Assurance benefits

Now, your Software Assurance Benefits are ready to be administered. Shortly I will be posting a separate step by step on how to activate and distribute several of the Software Assurance benefits themselves, such as: Microsoft eLearning, Home Use Program, Employee Purchase Program, Microsoft Training Vouchers, Microsoft Windows Pre-Installation (WinPE), and Virtual PC Express (with Vista Enterprise).

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman
Microsoft US Senior Manager
Small Business Community Engagement
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights