Microsoft Software Asset Management (SAM) Anyone been asked
Discussion
We've been getting letters and email from Microsoft asking us to do the following:
"Carry out Software Asset Management (SAM) Review in line with the Microsoft Volume License Agreement (VLA) terms and conditions"
First we thought it was spam but it's genuine ok. It's a right pain, anyone else had it?
They've picked up on some licensing agreements we have with Microsoft and decided to hassle us, had we been completely illegal we probably wouldn't have been targeted, we've got nothing to hide but is such a pain to get all the info together.
"Carry out Software Asset Management (SAM) Review in line with the Microsoft Volume License Agreement (VLA) terms and conditions"
First we thought it was spam but it's genuine ok. It's a right pain, anyone else had it?
They've picked up on some licensing agreements we have with Microsoft and decided to hassle us, had we been completely illegal we probably wouldn't have been targeted, we've got nothing to hide but is such a pain to get all the info together.
We've helped a few customers out that have been asked to do one.
TBH they weren't that onerous but I guess that depends on your estate, each of the ones we did had a mixture of volume licene/OEM and retail boxes.
They did ask for a sample of the activation codes from OEM Windows stickers and retail Office packages.
Microsoft were pretty laid back about the time we took to get the spreadsheet filled out and returned to them which was an unexpected surprise.
A couple of things they did ask on the last audit were....
You have 2008/2012 servers and only 2008 CALs - why?
You have 100 CALs, but only 40 copies of Office?
You have 100 CALs, but only 60 Forefront Endpoint Protection licences, why?
All easily explained, without needing to lie to them.
TBH they weren't that onerous but I guess that depends on your estate, each of the ones we did had a mixture of volume licene/OEM and retail boxes.
They did ask for a sample of the activation codes from OEM Windows stickers and retail Office packages.
Microsoft were pretty laid back about the time we took to get the spreadsheet filled out and returned to them which was an unexpected surprise.
A couple of things they did ask on the last audit were....
You have 2008/2012 servers and only 2008 CALs - why?
You have 100 CALs, but only 40 copies of Office?
You have 100 CALs, but only 60 Forefront Endpoint Protection licences, why?
All easily explained, without needing to lie to them.
Edited by manic47 on Thursday 24th April 21:21
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