Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA)
What is SPLA?
The Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) programme is specially designed by Microsoft to deliver a simple solution to all service providers who would like to offer software as a service. SPLA provides third party commercial use rights to service providers, who will be the holder of these Microsoft Licenses, so that end clients receiving services deployed on Microsoft Software Products are not required to obtain their own Microsoft software Licenses. End clients receive the right to interact with Microsoft software functionalities through the service provider’s SPLA Licenses.
WHO USES SPLA?
SPLA is for you if you have one of the following business models:
- Web hoster
- Application services provider
- Messaging and/or collaboration services provider
- Platform infrastructure provider
- Streaming media service provider
- Web/Internet services provider
- ISV providing hosted applications
- IT Outsourcers providing software licenses
- Business process outsourcers providing software Licenses
- Consultants providing software services
Benefits of the SPLA Programme
SPLA enables service providers to license Microsoft products on a monthly basis to provide services and hosted applications to their end clients.
Competitive Pricing:
SPLA pricing incorporates Software Assurance (Microsoft’s new maintenance offering) in providing service providers with the most current versions of the products available in the Programme for one simple monthly price.
Pricing Stability:
SPLA price changes (if any) will only occur on an annual basis in January and will be proportional to price changes in the Microsoft Open Licensing Programme during the preceding year. Use Rights Protection: The Service Provider Use Rights (SPUR) document details all product use rights for this programme. Product use rights are specific to each version and will not change for the duration of the programme.
Cash Flow Management:
With SPLA, services providers have near zero start-up costs, as they only pay for Licenses based on what they used to provide services each month.
Academic SKUs:
Academic pricing on selected products is available when service providers deploy services to Qualified Education Clients.
Licensing SPLA
Products available to license via the Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) are priced on a monthly basis. The Microsoft software products included in the program are available for licensing through two models:
- Per user (Subscriber Access License) Subscriber Access License (SAL) In the SAL mode, a SAL is required for each unique individual who is authorised to use the software in any given month.
- Per Processor (CPU License) Processor License (CPU) When licensing via the CPU Licenses, an unlimited number of end users can use the software running on a single CPU for each CPU License acquired.
Flexibility
For products that can be licensed in either Per Processor/CPU or Per User/Subscriber mode, the service provider can switch licensing mode from one month to another.
Eligibility for SPLA
The Services Provider Licensing Agreement requires all hosting partners to be Certified Partners of the Microsoft Partner Program. Partners wishing to enrol in the SPLA agreement need to only meet one of the following two eligibility requi rements:
- Enrol in the Microsoft Partner Programme as a Registered Member as well as in the Microsoft Windows Web Hosting Programme
OR
- Enrol in the Microsoft Partner Programme as a Certified Partner.
For enrolment as a Registered Member, visit the Microsoft Partner Program site:
https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104
To register for the Microsoft Hosting Programme, visit the Microsoft Hosting Programme resource site:
http://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/programs/windowswebhosting.msp
Media Delivery
Volume Licensing Media is not provided free of charge with the SPLA agreement and is available for purchase through Insight once your agreement has been approved by Microsoft. We can also provide your License keys for products that require activation, once the agreement is in place.
For further information about SPLA, contact our Licensing team on:
BE +32 226 360 58
NL +31 5 553 823 01
