What is the name of the new licensing model? Will the earlier one be discontinued?
We will continue to license software in the EA program as we do today. Online services will continue to be sold in a “per-user” model.
How is Microsoft’s commitment to the cloud reflected in the new licensing model?
In the updated EA, we acknowledge that core online service loads are treated as enterprise offerings. Microsoft Office, Windows Intune, and Microsoft Core Client Access License (CAL) Suite workloads in the cloud are applicable offerings, for example, Microsoft Office Subscription and Office 365 E plans.
What is the recommended licensing option for my existing EA customers considering Office 365?
If your EA customers need software deployment prior to the Office 365 launch, then purchase a license for the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) for them. If the customer’s deployment is after the Office 365 launch, then profile the customer base and purchase Office 365 plans E1 through E4.
Does a customer need to purchase a minimum amount of Office 365 licenses at the initial order under their EA?
As part of the updated EA’s flexible cost structure, you can migrate your customers to the cloud at their own pace. No minimum quantity of Office 365 plans is required anytime during the EA enrollment term—if this is a net-new EA and as long as the minimum quantity of 250 devices/users is met with either software or applicable E1 through E4 plans.
Can my customers cancel or reduce seats midterm in their EA?
Your customers can reduce their Online Services quantity at anniversary if they are not part of the Qualified User or Device commitment; for example, if the user count is 5,000 and during the course of the year, 100 users are added via the Office 365 K1 plan. Your customers can reduce 100 additional users while the companywide commitment of 5,000 remains during the agreement term.
Can my EA customers be invoiced quarterly, especially if they add significant numbers of additional users?
Quarterly invoicing is done by exception, and business desk approval is required. No change happens to compensation when this exception is authorized.
Are the existing EA/Microsoft Software Assurance benefits changing?
The Microsoft Software Assurance benefit entitlement, with the exception of E-Learning and Microsoft Office MLP, will be adjusted on the anniversary date. Your customers will still use the Software Assurance benefit entitlements based on their on-premise software license purchases, and many of the Software Assurance benefits will continue to be delivered as part of the cloud service.
Some of my customers are not ready for cloud computing, but want their options open. What do you advise?
If your customers are renewing their EAs prior to the agreement refresh in July 2011, it is best that they sign the EA amendment so that if they move to the cloud later, they already have the terms and conditions (Ts and Cs) signed and ready to transact the service offerings. Signing the amendment creates no commitment to make a change.
Can I immediately migrate a customer who has BPOS and an EA renewing in March into the new commerce platform? If so, how and in what timeframe?
An existing BPOS customer needs to be contacted to set up a mutually agreed on migration from the BPOS to Office 365. You can begin migrating your EA customers to the new platform and Office 365 product offering approximately six months post general availability of Office 365.
When will Office 365 be available to my customers who sign the updated EA amendment in December?
If your customers do not currently have the BPOS, they will want to purchase Office 365 when it is generally available. If they have BPOS, your EA customers will begin migrating to the new platform and Office 365 product offering approximately six months post general availability of Office 365.
