Microsoft Launches Open Value Subscription Program

Microsoft is now offering a new subscription model to small businesses that will allow them to use the company's software for less cost than the currently available licensing model. It is called Open Value Subscription (OVS) program. It is designed to give small businesses more flexible and affordable options for purchasing software, since the new plan costs about a third of the license-only expense for the current licensing program open to small business, called the Open Value (OV) program.

The new plan is cheaper because Microsoft offers upfront discounts for software purchased through the subscription program, and also allows customers to increase or decrease pricing over the three-year subscription period if their business needs change. OVS includes Microsoft's Software Assurance program, the company's software maintenance and support program for business customers. Microsoft defines small businesses as those with 50 employees or fewer. The reason is that Microsoft considers 50 employees the "break point", or the point when a company hires IT management. Of course, this is not true for some organizations, like where I work. We have only 23 employees and 5 of them are in the I.T. Management Department.

Small businesses will be able to sign up for the OVS program beginning in March. Microsoft products available through the program include Microsoft Office Small Business, Office Professional +, Windows Vista Business Upgrade, Small Business Server Client Access License (CAL), Core CAL, Desktop Professional Suite, and Small Business Desktop Suite. Likewise, as part of its small-business outreach, Microsoft also this week is unveiling a partner program called "Big Easy," which invests about $10 million in subsidies to small businesses purchasing products through partners. In any event, through the program, small businesses purchasing certain products through authorized specialist partners will get a certain percentage of money back that they can use to purchase other services from those partners.

Although there is no indication yet if this will be available to Philippine subscribers, products available for subsidies under the Big Easy program include Microsoft Office products, Exchange Server, Forefront Security for Exchange Server, System Center Essentials, Project, Visio, Office SharePoint Server, Forefront Security for SharePoint, and Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006, among others.