Dynamics & Software Asset Management (SAM) Compliance

The Software Asset Management team (SAM: https://www.microsoft.com/sam/en/us/overview.aspx) at Microsoft work directly with customers to review & validate Microsoft Licenses. Historically Dynamics has not be included in SAM audits. However from March 2011 the SAM team at Microsoft UK will be incorporating Dynamics into their customer licensing reviews going forward.

On average the SAM team engage with 700+ customers in the UK every year. (excluding work done by SAM partners). It’s likely that over the course of the next year the SAM team will engage with one of your accounts.

The reason for the SAM teams interest in Dynamics is that statistically DCO/Light User Licenses are not being sold into customers in the volumes that they would expect based on the Dynamics value proposition (MSFT Stack, Extended ERP) & the clarity of DCO licensing requirements in the SLT.

As a channel; in order to make sure that we are in the best possible shape ahead of any SAM engagement we have negotiated a Dynamics NAV & AX promotion for EXISTING customers.

I have attached the full details for your reference. The summary details are below.

  • 1 Light User for every full license already owned. (Effectively 100% discount, BREP paid on list price)
  • All additional users can be purchased as 2 for 1. (50% off normal license price, BREP paid on list price)
  • External Connectors can be purchased at 50% discount off License cost (BREP paid on list price)

The Light User model has caused some confusion between Partners & Customers. In order to mitigate this going forward we will be running a series of educational live meetings outlining the change in SAM engagement as well as a thorough walk through of the Light User model. The live meetings are supported by a full BOMs providing all the supporting documentation you will ever need!

You can book in for the live meetings here: https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032483782&Culture=en-GB

Provisionally the agenda for these live meetings is as follows:

  • Software Asset Management (SAM)
    • What is SAM?
    • Changes to scope of SAM engagement
    • SAM engagement with Dynamics customer base
  • Light User Promotion Details
  • User License Types & Access Methods
    • Software License Terms
    • License Types Run-through
    • Licensing Scenarios
  • Enabling Technologies
  • Licensing Resources

The promotion & the education program offer a great opportunity to avoid any customer complications ahead of the ramp up in SAM activities.

Make sure that your customers are compliant on Light User access. Remember that ANY direct or indirect access to the ERP solution requires a license….

Many Thanks

Phil Newman