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This primer provides a quick look at the features and licensing of SQL Server 2012, and addresses any caveats associated with upgrading from an earlier version of SQL Server.

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Office 365, Microsoft's newest Web-based offering provides Microsoft's core server applications with their Web-based productivity suite.

Tool

Each organization will have different priorities for the use of Software Assurance (SA). Use this tool to calculate the true dollar value of SA to build your business case for or against SA in your organization.

Solution Set

Desktop Virtualization adoption has more than doubled in less than two years and is approaching it's full potential with new technology working for broader use cases.

Note

Less than half of surveyed companies purchasing Microsoft software spend significant efforts to prepare for software negotiations. With Microsoft comprising more than 50% of a company's software budget, this could be leaving considerable money...

Template/Policy

Create a company software requirements profile to improve your negotiation tool kit, and be firmly in the driver's seat during Microsoft software license negotiations.

Tool

A technology roadmap documents past upgrades and prepares for future technology rollouts, providing a comparison to Microsoft's expected upgrade cycle. Use this tool to document previous and future upgrade cycles in the enterprise.

Solution Set

Microsoft has multiple licensing options to provide flexibility for various sized organizations, commitment levels, and product usage. This adds greatly to the complexity, causing many companies to buy into the wrong program and therefore overspend.

Cutting costs can be an overwhelming and painful task, but knowing where to focus your efforts can make it easier. Take a look at our top ten favorite strategies. It doesn't have to be as painful as you think, and who knows, you could become the...

Video

Non-monetary switching costs can be high when adopting alternative office productivity suites, but deployment may also greatly decrease MS licensing costs. Assess your environment to determine if and where deploying an alternative suite makes sense.

Tool

IT leaders looking to adopt an alternative office productivity suite and reduce their MS Office licensing costs need to understand their organizational requirements or risk either overspending or incurring preventable switching costs. Leverage...

Note

Money-saving opportunities exist for many organizations by implementing a limited deployment of an alternative to Microsoft Office.

Video

Customers have been complaining for some time about the cost, complexity, and inflexibility of Microsoft's virtualization offer. Recently announced changes will have a strong, positive impact on these traditional areas of concern.

What are the pros and cons of renewing the Enterprise Agreement (EA) with Microsoft? Given that this decision represents a significant spend, careful consideration must be given to the arguments for and against the EA renewal.

Current economic conditions are requiring many IT departments to trim their budgets. Take a closer look at Microsoft licensing agreements to eliminate any excess spend on Microsoft products next year.

Tool

This tool simplifies the decision-making process for Microsoft Licensing program selection. Once decision makers have gone through the three worksheets and read the accompanying research note, they should be able to determine exactly which...

Small enterprises that learn Microsoft licensing basics are in a better position to optimize license purchases and reduce software spending. Understand Microsoft's complex licensing programs and the options, restrictions, and conditions. Learn...