Microsoft SPLA

What is SPLA

The Services Provider License Agreement allows an organisation to license Microsoft products and use them to provide software services to its customers. Types of partners that typically enter into SPLA are: web hosters, application service providers, ISVs w/hosted apps, messaging or collaboration service providers (hosted email), outsourcers or platform infrastructure providers.

Specifically, you are a service provider if you provide the following software services to your customers:

• Your organisation provides your customers with direct or indirect access to products such as hosted websites or LOB applications through Microsoft server products

• Your organisation offers your customers software services that interact with Microsoft Products. In this scenario, you, not your customer, are the licensee.

• Your organisation facilitates your customers business, including business transactions with third parties, through software services that interact with Microsoft Products.

• Your organisation provides your customers with access to and use of any application as a software service, Microsoft or otherwise, and the application is running on a server and interacts with a Microsoft product on that server.

• Your organisation offers other service providers platform infrastructure services to use and run any Microsoft or third-party application. This, in turn, allows these other service providers to offer Microsoft applications as a software service to their end customers through their own SPLA.

Difference between SPLA and other Microsoft Volume Licensing programs

Microsoft Volume Licensing programs offer several licensing options for customers to acquire Microsoft software licenses for internal use. Hosting providers who want to offer software services to their customers and who will include software licenses as part of their service offering should use SPLA. Microsoft SPLA is the only Microsoft Volume Licensing program that allows Microsoft products to be used for commercial hosting.

BENEFITS of this licensing option

The SPLA Program is an excellent opportunity for service providers to offer customers a single point through which to acquire software services and the associated Microsoft Products so that the customers do not have to acquire and deploy their own licensed products. In addition, customers can leverage the flexibility, cost, and management efficiencies of a shared infrastructure. The SPLA Program provides a more streamlined way for services providers to give their end customers access to fully licensed Microsoft Products as software services. Because the services provider not the end customer is the licensee, the SPLA Program reduces the complexity of offering software services.

• Deliver a customised service. Flexibility to deliver tailored IT services to your customers through a dedicated or shared hosting environment. Increase the value of your services by managing software use rights for your customers.

• Pay as you go with no up-front costs. Pay only for licenses based on what you make available to provide software services for each month. There are no start-up costs or long-term commitments.

• Access the most current product versions. Give your customers the most current and capable Microsoft platform. Download your products at no charge through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) instead of ordering physical media

• Offer software services worldwide. Use Microsoft Products to deliver software services to end customers in and from any part of the world where distribution is legally allowed

• Expand distribution capabilities through Software Services Resellers. Expand business reach to small and midsize businesses providing software services through additional resellers.

• Leverage Data Centre Providers for infrastructure capabilities. Have the option to focus on hosting your application solutions and acquire infrastructure as a service (IaaS) from a Data Centre Provider, including Microsoft Azure. (Microsoft Azure is also considered a Data Centre Provider)

• Leverage Data Centre Outsourcing. Install Microsoft Products on servers under the day-to-day management and control of an outsourcing company to deliver your software services based on your capacity and server management capabilities. The outsourcer can then perform data centre administration, testing, and maintenance support services on the end customers behalf.

• Try before you buy. Test and evaluate products internally before offering them to your customers as a service.

• Install at customer facilities. Install Microsoft Products on servers that are located on an end customers premises under your management and control.

• Expand your reach to academic institutions. Expand your business with specific price offerings available to your academic customers through the SPLA.

• Offer demonstrations and evaluations. You can give up to 50 user product demos on Microsoft software and provide your customers with a free 60-day trial period.

• Include your affiliates under a single agreement.

• Simplified licensing with the Microsoft Business and Services Agreement (MBSA). After an MBSA is in place, you only need to sign a shorter and more simplified SPLA every three years. It also makes it easier to purchase Premier and Professional support.

Who is eligible to use License Mobility through Software Assurance?

Any Microsoft Volume License customer who has eligible application server licenses covered with active Software Assurance may elect to leverage License Mobility through Software Assurance. These include Enterprise Agreement and Open Value, where Software Assurance is included, and other Volume Licensing programs where Software Assurance is an option such as Select Plus. More information is available on the Microsoft Partner Network Software Assurance page. Customers can find information on the Microsoft Volume Licensing Software Assurance page.

How does the customer get access to Windows Server as part of License Mobility through Software Assurance?

Windows Server is provided as a part of the infrastructure software tier by the service provider; it is not covered by License Mobility through Software Assurance.