How to Activate Software Assurance Benefits

Published: May 27, 2003 | Updated: May 15, 2006

The following table explains the steps you need to complete to activate your Microsoft Software Assurance benefits. Many benefits are activated through Microsoft Volume License Services (MVLS), an online resource you can use to manage your Microsoft licensing agreements and to access your licensing order information and purchase history.

Step-by-step guidance on Software Assurance benefit activation is available through the online Benefit Activation Training module.

View Benefit Activation Training

Note Not all Software Assurance benefits are available for all Volume Licensing program offerings.

Benefit	Benefit activation steps
New Version Rights Spread Payments	No additional steps required to activate.
Desktop Deployment Planning Services	Steps for the Notices Contact Sign the Microsoft Volume Licensing agreement. Microsoft will send you a welcome e-mail message that introduces you to Microsoft Volume License Services (MVLS), a dedicated customer Web site you can use to manage your benefits and licensing agreements. Go to Microsoft Volume License Services. Sign in to the Microsoft Passport Network. If you do not have credentials for the Passport Network, click Sign Up Now and follow the instructions on your screen to sign up. Create an MVLS account. Assign a Benefits Administrator to manage the Software Assurance benefits for your company. Microsoft will send a welcome e-mail message to the Benefits Administrator. After the Benefits Administrator registers on MVLS, assign permissions to manage specific Software Assurance benefits. Steps for the Benefits Administrator Ensure that you have administrative rights to activate Packaged Services, or contact your Notices Contact or Benefits Administrator. Go to Microsoft Volume License Services. Sign in to the Microsoft Passport Network. If you do not have credentials for the Passport Network, click Sign Up Now and follow the instructions on your screen to sign up. Go to the Software Assurance Benefit Summary page. Select the Desktop Packaged Services benefit. Assign the Desktop Deployment Planning Services voucher to a project manager within your organization. The project manager will receive an e-mail message that provides information about the benefit. The e-mail message will also include a link to a list of local Microsoft Partners or Microsoft Consulting Services so that the project manager can schedule an engagement. *Optional: Increase the number of days for Desktop Deployment Planning Services by applying training days. If you have already created a training voucher, you can convert unused training days because those days will no longer be showing as available for conversion. This may require approval from your Benefits Administrator.
Information Work Solution Services	Steps for the Notices Contact Sign the Microsoft Volume Licensing agreement. Microsoft will send you a welcome e-mail message that introduces you to Microsoft Volume License Services (MVLS), a dedicated customer Web site you can use to manage your benefits and licensing agreements. Go to Microsoft Volume License Services. Sign in to the Microsoft Passport Network. If you do not have credentials for the Passport Network, click Sign Up Now and follow the instructions on your screen to sign up. Create an MVLS account. Assign a Benefits Administrator to manage the Software Assurance benefits for your company. Microsoft will send a welcome e-mail message to the Benefits Administrator. Steps for the Benefits Administrator Use the link in your MVLS invitation e-mail message to access MVLS, or obtain your company's agreement number and go to Microsoft Volume License Services. Sign in to the Microsoft Passport Network. If you do not have credentials for the Passport Network, click Sign Up Now and follow the instructions on your screen to sign up. Create an MVLS account and request access to your company's agreement, if necessary. Go to the Software Assurance Benefit Summary page. Click enroll to access your company's benefits. Review the terms and conditions for the benefits. Activate your training voucher benefit. Choose the IWSS workshop for which you want to use your training vouchers: The one-day Information Work Value Discovery Workshops helps business decision-makers develop a prioritized list of projects that will have the greatest impact on their business, with the lowest risk. The two-day Information Work Architecture Design Sessions gives IT staff and technical decision-makers a clear understanding of the architecture required to implement the highest-value information-work projects into their IT environment. To locate a provider in your area that can deliver Information Work Solution Services, go to the Provider Listing page.
Windows Preinstallation Environment Training Vouchers Microsoft eLearning Home Use Program Employee Purchase Program Enterprise Source Licensing Program Corporate Error Reporting TechNet Plus Virtual PC Express	Steps for the Notices Contact Sign the Microsoft Volume Licensing agreement. Microsoft will send you a welcome e-mail message that introduces you to Microsoft Volume License Services (MVLS), a dedicated customer Web site you can use to manage your benefits and licensing agreements. Go to Microsoft Volume License Services. Sign in to the Microsoft Passport Network. If you do not have credentials for the Passport Network, click Sign Up Now and follow the instructions on your screen to sign up. Create an MVLS account. Assign a Benefits Administrator to manage the Software Assurance benefits for your company. Microsoft will send a welcome e-mail message to the Benefits Administrator. After the Benefits Administrator registers on MVLS, assign permissions to manage specific Software Assurance benefits. Steps for the Benefits Administrator Go to Microsoft Volume License Services. Sign in to the Microsoft Passport Network. If you do not have credentials for the Passport Network, click Sign Up Now and follow the instructions on your screen to sign up. Create an MVLS account. Go to the Software Assurance Benefits Summary page. Click enroll next to a benefit's name to access your company's benefit. Review the terms and conditions of the benefits. Set up a list of approved users. Promote the benefits within your organization to the IT, human resources, and training groups. Tip Click RoboHelp for additional assistance.
24x7 Problem Resolution Support	Steps for the Notices Contact Sign the Microsoft Volume Licensing agreement. Microsoft will send you a welcome e-mail message that introduces you to Microsoft Volume License Services (MVLS), a dedicated customer Web site you can use to manage your benefits and licensing agreements. Go to Microsoft Volume License Services. Sign in to the Microsoft Passport Network. If you do not have credentials for the Passport Network, click Sign Up Now and follow the instructions on your screen to sign up. Create an MVLS account. Assign a Benefits Administrator to manage the Software Assurance benefits for your company. Assign a Benefits Administrator for the 24x7 Problem Resolution Support benefit. Microsoft will send a welcome e-mail message to the Benefits Administrators. Steps for the Benefits Administrator Go to Microsoft Volume License Services. Sign in to the Microsoft Passport Network. If you do not have credentials for the Passport Network, click Sign Up Now and follow the instructions on your screen to sign up. Create an MVLS account. Go to the Software Assurance Benefits Summary page. Click enroll next to the 24x7 Problem Resolution Support benefit to access your company's benefits. Activate the new benefits. Set up a list of users approved to submit support incidents. Promote the benefits within your organization to the IT team and help desk. Tip Click RoboHelp for additional assistance.
"Cold" Backups for Disaster Recovery	No formal action is required for eligible customers to activate or use this Software Assurance benefit. For each server license for which a customer has active Software Assurance, the customer has the right to install the same software on a "cold" backup server. Use of any server software under this Software Assurance disaster recovery benefit is subject to the Product Use Rights for that software (including, for example, any requirement to license each processor or copy separately) and to the terms and conditions associated with the disaster recovery benefit. The number of disaster recovery licenses for which a customer qualifies correlates directly to the number of licenses for which the customer has active Software Assurance. Customers may use their Volume Licensing media to install their "cold" backups. The product condition note regarding "Cold" Disaster Recovery Rights in the Microsoft Volume License Product List (first published in June 2004), together with the proof of license and Software Assurance coverage for the production server software (and required CALs), are evidence of the right to the "cold" disaster recovery server licenses.
Extended Hotfix Support	After it is determined, typically by a Support Engineer, that the resolution to a customer-reported issue would likely require a hotfix for a product in the Extended phase of the support life cycle, contact your Technical Account Manager (TAM). The TAM will work with the appropriate problem resolution team to initiate the process of creating the hotfix. After it is confirmed that a hotfix can be created and provided to you, the TAM will work with you to sign you up for an Extended Hotfix Support Account (EHSA) or add coverage to your existing EHSA for the affected product.
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs	Available in June 2006.
Windows Vista Enterprise	Scheduled for release in late 2006.

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