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Microsoft Office – separating fact from fiction

Microsoft Office has established a position as the most efficient suite of applications for document creation, communication and business information analysis but its pricing and licensing model still leaves many users confused.
 


Office 2007 software can currently be purchased in retail boxed format, OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or as site licenses (subdivided into purchase, finance or rental).

But the choices do not stop there. You can also select from an array of different versions from Home and Student all the way up to Professional Plus. There are six versions in all but be careful because they are not all available in every type of license.

In short, it’s a minefield and buying the wrong version or the wrong license can prove to be a costly mistake. At Delta Comtech, we will assist you every step of the way to ensure you choose the right type of license and then the right version for your organisation. The complexity of the Office suite licensing model is too complex to cover in this short article but we would like to take this opportunity to dispel some common myths surrounding the product.
 

MYTH - Microsoft Office comes with Windows

Microsoft Office is a separate product to Windows so must be purchased separately. Office is quite an expensive product ranging all the way from Home and Student at £70 through to Pro Plus at £400. Most PCs do come with a demo version of Office 2007 preloaded but this will time out if a valid license key is not purchased.

MYTH - OEM Licenses are transferable

An OEM license is supplied by the equipment manufacturer and is cheaper than a retail copy. However, OEM copies of Office have license limitations – most importantly, they are non-transferable to another PC. If you swap PCs or your PC dies you cannot legally install your OEM copy onto a new machine. Instead you must purchase a new license. OEM licenses are particularly dangerous on 1-year warranted equipment. We strongly recommend you either purchase a 3-year warranty to protect your hardware and software investment or buy a retail copy of Office which would be transferable should your PC fail.

MYTH – All Office licenses are upgradeable to a newer version

Only retail licenses are upgradeable. You cannot upgrade OEM licenses or site licenses. If you require the right to always run the latest version of Office, you need to purchase or rent a site license with a software assurance subscription.
 

Traditionally, our recommendation to businesses looking for the most cost-effective Office licence was to purchase an OEM version with a new PC.

Due to recent price changes, this is no longer always the case. Retail licenses offer greater flexibility than OEM and the cost differential for Office 2007 Small Business Edition has recently halved to just £75.

MYTH - You can install one copy of Office on multiple PCs

This is untrue and hence illegal. Only retail Office can be installed onto two computers but the second license can only be used by the same user on a portable device (i.e. a laptop).

 Please bear in mind that Office 2010 is rumoured to be launching by the end of this year and will carry the added complexity of a choice between 32 and 64-bit versions. Remember we are only a phone call away and always willing to assist.
 

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Delta Comtech Ltd
Artillery House, Heapy Street
Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 7JB

Tel: 0844 412 8102
 info@delta-comtech.co.uk