Simplifying licensing and improving end-to-end contracting experience is a key priority for Worldwide Licensing & Pricing (WWLP) team. Previously we have delivered a simplified Product Use Rights (PUR) document with much improved navigability, readability and consistency in language across all the product families. This year we kicked off our next wave of licensing document simplification with a primary focus on our Online Services (OLS) licensing documents and the Product List, which we will be delivering in multiple phases over a period of time.
As Microsoft transforms to a Services and Devices company our portfolio of Online Services has grown. We now offer many different services in multiple channels. This has resulted in OLS terms being spread across multiple documents. Having OLS terms in multiple documents creates confusion and adds complexity in our contracting for both customers and partners.
What is changing?
OLS terms are currently duplicated in both the PUR and the OLSUR. With the January 1st 2014 refresh cycle we eliminated this duplication and consolidate the OLS terms by locating them only in the Online Services Use Rights (OLSUR) document. The OLSUR will become the single document that conveys commercial OLS terms to all our customers (EA, EAS, Open, MPSA, and MOSP Direct).
Content that duplicates terms in upstream program documents has been deleted and differences in the OLS terms that existed between the PUR and OLSUR have been harmonized.
Additionally, we have reorganized the OLSUR content. Service-specific Terms are re-arranged and aggregated by Service-groups rather than alphabetically making it easier to navigate through the document.
What is NOT changing?
License terms for existing OLSs and use rights for existing software products are not changing, except as specifically noted for new versions that Microsoft introduces as part of the regular update cycle.
More information
January 2014 versions of PUR and OLSUR and archive of past documents will be found at the Product Licensing search page when they go live on Jan 1st, 2014.