Question

SBS 2008: Volume Licensing or not?

Asked by: tigermatt

I am looking to install a 2008 Small Business Server for a client in the next few months. I am, at present, weighing up whether it would be worth having the client sign up to a Volume Licensing agreement (one of the "Open" plans, from what I can tell, would be best suited to the company's size) or purchase all the software - SBS, Vista and Office 2007 - through retail channels.

The business is a typical small business, currently running out of a small premises and in desperate need of a server to centralise file management, email, their website and so on. The scope of the project as it looks at present is as follows:

1 x Server running SBS 2008 Standard Edition
3 x Desktop PCs (although it could easily be 5 by the time the project comes round) to run either Vista Business or Premium
3-5 x Office 2007 Small Business Edition Licenses (basically every PC having Office 2007)
5x User CALs for SBS 2008 at this stage

Would you recommend I go down the Retail or Volume Licensing route? I am particularly interested in the Software Assurance capability of Volume Licensing, and my client would be interested in the ability to spread the payments over several instalments, but being someone who has never ventured into the world of Volume Licensing on a project by myself, I don't know exactly what I'm walking into.

Essentially what I want to do is best prepare the business for the future. I have no reason not to purchase the software through conventional retail suppliers at this stage, but then when the company rapidly expands across several offices in many different locations in the coming years, I want to easily be able to add on licenses for software via the most cost-effective route.

Any words of advice for a Volume Licensing newbie?

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Asked On
2008-12-27 at 14:12:52ID24011225
Tags

Microsoft Small Business Server

,

2008

,

Licensing

,

Volume or Retail

Topics

SBS Small Business Server

,

Microsoft Server

,

Intellectual Property

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
21

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by: MPECSIncPosted on 2008-12-27 at 14:21:59ID: 23249694

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