Intelli-NET Helps Upstate Firms Understand Microsoft Licensing
January 6, 2011
GREENVILLE, SC – January 6, 2011 – Many smaller companies purchase computers with Microsoft Office pre-installed. When purchased on a new computer, Microsoft considers this an OEM License. This is the least expensive way to purchase Office, but it also comes with limitations. OEM Licenses are not transferrable, meaning that when that machine is replaced, you are obligated to purchase another license.
If your company has purchased computers over the past four years with OEM software on them, you now likely have systems with different generations of Office, including Office 2002, Office XP, Office 2003, Office 2007, and now Office 2010.
Having software from different generations of Office can lead to problems, including compatibility issues and training issues. Additionally, only certain versions of Office are available for OEM licensing, whereas other versions with different packaging are available using Open Licensing.
If your company is not contemplating computer system replacement, but needs to keep all the Office software on the save generation, Open Licensing may be a solution for you. In general, an Open license allows your company to upgrade all the computers at your company to the same generation and version of Office immediately. Then, as you replace hardware, you can re-use that same software on the new systems without re-purchasing Office.
In the short term, it an expense that may seem unnecessary, but in the long term, you gain by having uniformity across all your systems, and you don’t have to continually re-purchase Office products every time you replace a computer.
Intelli-NET
intelli-NET is a Greenville-based IT Managed Services / Solution Provider. We are Certified Microsoft Partners and Small Business Specialists. We can help you decipher your Microsoft Licensing, become compliant with your license agreements, and plan for future growth and updates to your systems. Give us a call at (864) 288-1114, and select option 2 for Sales. Visit us at www.intellinet-sc.com.
