Open Value (OV) 

Open Value Company-wide option. With the Company-wide option, your organization receives the rights to run the software for as long as it is needed (perpetual). It can provide significant savings and predictable costs on Microsoft technology with three-year spread payments.

Non–Company-wide option. With the Non–Company-wide option, you can license software on a portion of your desktops or servers and manage your software costs by paying for your license in three annualized payments. If you have a Company-wide agreement, you can simplify management of your licenses by adding Non–Company-wide licenses onto your Company-wide agreement.

The ability to run any software version. Tracking and managing licenses can be challenging, especially if people are running different versions of software. With Microsoft Open Value, you can control the upgrade cycle with the latest software releases and can run any version of software. It provides greater peace of mind.

Flexibility for business growth. As your organization grows and you need to purchase new desktops, it's easy to integrate the licenses from the new desktops computers into your existing Open Value agreement through Software Assurance. Software Assurance must be purchased within 90 days of the date you purchased the desktops.

The ability to deploy the software you need now. Open Value grants the rights to run any version of the software so that you can stay current and upgrade when you want. With New Version Rights and flexible version management, you can focus more on implementing critical IT projects instead of on building a business case for the next upgrade.

Predictable planning and budgeting. If your organization needs longer-term visibility into IT budget planning, Open Value offers predictable annual payments to help you make better decisions about which IT projects to implement each year.

Spread payments. Open Value helps organizations that have a limited budget. You can amortize your software costs over three years, similar to financing without the interest rates and associated fees. With reduced up-front costs and payments spread over time, you can afford to get the software you need now.

Better manageability. If you manage multiple agreements, company-wide purchasing allows you to consolidate multiple Microsoft contracts into a single agreement, track licenses online, and standardize all of your PCs on the latest software version. It gives you confidence that you have your licenses under control.

Easier license management. Managing software assets is a critical issue for many businesses. Open Value enables you to legitimately install new software as you need it and pay for it all at the end of the year.

Minimize risk and remain compliant. You're responsible for managing new software installations by your IT team and end users. Having upgrade rights means your organization can install the latest version of software without worrying about accidentally becoming noncompliant. This makes it easier for you to reduce your business risk.

More value for software. Open Value includes discounts on frequent upgrades and company-wide purchasing, so you get the best deal for your software purchases. It also provides an agreement that helps you better predict your costs over three years.

Return on investment. Making a strategic choice to standardize on multiple Microsoft software solutions helps you save additional costs. Open Value Company-wide provides discounts and upgrade rights when your organization licenses Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows Desktop Professional Upgrade, and Client Access Licenses (CAL) for Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Windows Server, and Microsoft SharePoint Server and Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) together on each desktop.