From January 1, 2022, Microsoft will no longer support their 20-year-old Open License Program, as per the earlier announcement. The Open License programme was ideally developed for SMEs and midsized customers to purchase multiple software licenses at a volume price. This step is taken to simplify the licensing process by introducing a new commerce experience. However, businesses are still allowed to renew and purchase new licenses, online services, and software assurance via the Open License programme till December 31, 2021.

From January 1, 2022, any commercial customer or SME cannot buy or renew their existing software licenses or online services via the Open License programme. New licenses will only be available to purchase via the partners in Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) programme.

Another good news for participants who have purchased tokens to use Microsoft’s online services is that they will stay active for five years from the purchase date.

Role of Cloud Solution Provider Partners

As mentioned in the announcement, the new perpetual licenses will be purchased through Cloud Solution Provider from January 1, 2022. This makes it crucial for SMEs to understand the Cloud Solution Provider Partners. Also, the perceptual licenses are pay-once, non-subscription licenses that don’t have an expiry date.

On the other hand, if any company uses the software assurance with the perceptual licenses, they will only purchase the software assurance through a different program than the Open License program in 2022. However, you can also buy the perceptual licenses from Microsoft’s qualified partners, who will also guide you through evaluating online services and find value-added solutions.

Microsoft also recommends users move to the Microsoft Open Value programe for future purchases included with Software Assurance. But the Open Value subscription programe doesn’t provide perceptual software licenses. It is a low-cost subscription plan that gives you the right to utilise software applications with software assurance.

Improved Commerce Experience

Microsoft is ending the Open License programme to offer an improved commerce experience to businesses with their upcoming subscription plans. If we look at it from a partner perspective, Microsoft is empowering its Cloud Solution Provider partners to sell perceptual software licenses from 2021. The CSP partners programme includes more than 90,000 participating companies.

Last year, Microsoft added the partnership agreement to the enhanced commerce experience scheme by replacing the Microsoft Cloud Reseller agreement and the Cloud Distributor agreement.

These changes will bring a new experience to the consumers by offering a consistent and simplified purchasing journey that can help you transform your organisation digitally at your pace. If you’re willing to be a part of this offerings, then talk to Server Consultancy today to understand which plan is best suited for your business.

At Server Consultancy, you’ll get all the information required to purchase any Microsoft license subscription. Besides, if you have moved to the cloud yet and planning on the migration, we can help you transition effortlessly.

The post The End of Microsoft Open License Program (MOLP) appeared first on Server Consultancy Ltd.