The Microsoft Products and Services Agreement

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Table of Contents
1. The Microsoft Products and Services Agreement .............................................................................................................................................. 1
2. Purchasing Accounts ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
3. Government and Academic customers ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
4. Pricing............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
5. Ordering .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
6. Software Assurance...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
7. The Microsoft Volume Licensing Tools ............................................................................................................................................................... 10

This document answers questions from partners about the Microsoft Products and Services
Agreement. For Operations and process questions in regard to the Microsoft Products and
Services Agreement, including topics such as pricing, ordering, concessions, Software
Assurance benefit calculation and use, user management, reports, and notifications, please
see the MPSA Partner FAQ in the Microsoft Readiness App, which can be downloaded at
the Microsoft Store or from the Microsoft website.

1. The Microsoft Products and Services Agreement

What is the Microsoft Products and Services Agreement?
The Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA) is a new foundational master agreement that
significantly simplifies the Volume Licensing agreement structure. It consolidates common terms and conditions
from standard Microsoft Volume Licensing agreements into a single agreement for all customer organizations. It
includes terms and conditions from the Microsoft Business and Services Agreement (MBSA), Microsoft Select Plus
Agreement, and terms for purchasing Microsoft Online Services. By streamlining the overall contract and
integrating transactional purchases for Online Services, software and Software Assurance, customers will have
more flexibility to get the full value of their licensing investment. For commercial and now government and
academic customers, licenses and services are easier to buy, use, and manage through the MPSA.
Partners can increase their profitability and lower the cost of selling Microsoft solutions through a simplified
agreement, with more flexibility and streamlined tools. Because all customer licensing assets are contained in a
single, non-expiring MPSA, you can spend less time negotiating and more time serving customers as a trusted
advisor. The MPSA also presents new revenue opportunities with Online Services, Software and Software
Assurance through one agreement.

How do I start selling through the MPSA?

As a Licensing Solutions Provider (LSP), you are eligible to sell through the MPSA when it is active in your country
or region. To help you onboard, Microsoft created the LSP Change Management Playbooka dynamic and
scalable tool to help partners get their organization ready to adopt the new Volume Licensing platform. The
playbook is one of several change management resources that can help LSPs transition licensing through the
MPSA.

Where can I find a comparison between current Volume Licensing agreements and the MPSA?
A comparison of the MPSA to Select Plus and the Microsoft Online Subscription Agreement is available on the
MPSA webpage. The following are the key differences between the MPSA and other traditional Microsoft Volume
Licensing agreements:

Integrated purchasing of Online Services, software and Software Assurance through a single,
transactional agreement
MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

Ability to define and redefine an organization's purchasing structure through Purchasing Account(s)
New enhanced self-service, online tools that provide customers with useful capabilities for license and
asset management including self-provisioning of Online Services.

What is a sales package?

A sales package is the electronic collection of information and is created through the Microsoft Volume Licensing
Partner Center (MVLPC) to set up a new agreement or modify an active agreement where a customer or partner
signature is required. This package collates required customer, partner, Microsoft, and offer information, including
any required terms and conditions. The sales package consists of customer information, the Purchasing Account
information, and the agreement pricing information.
Partners use the MVLPC to create a sales package for a customer. They send the resulting agreement to the
customer to sign electronically.

Is the sales package the actual agreement?

The sales package is not the agreement, but is used to create a new agreement or to add a Purchasing Account to
an existing agreement.

Can I send the draft sales package to customers for review?

Customers can view the agreement when they are invited to sign it. At that point, they can decline to sign it and
provide reasons why not if it needs changes.

With the launch of government and academic segment terms and conditions, are there
examples of how the MPSA comes together in the different customer scenarios?
Yes. There are two ways this is supported. Firstly, you can create a draft agreement for your customer through the
sales package process in the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center. Alternatively, we have provided some
samples of key scenarios that are found through the Help tile on the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center.

When does Microsoft notify the customer that a sales package is signed and active?
For customers who elect to receive electronic agreements using DocuSign, they are notified as soon as the sales
package is signed. Further information can be found in the Microsoft Operations MPSA Partner FAQ in the
Microsoft Readiness App, which can be downloaded from the Microsoft website.

Can customers transfer licenses across organizations?

Yes. There is a License Transfer form that a customer can use to transfer licenses to other organizations within
certain terms and restrictions explained within the MPSA. Perpetual license transfers are not shown in the MVLC or
MVLPC, although customers and Microsoft retain the completed form as a record of the transfer.

How does the MPSA support mergers, acquisitions and divestitures?

Mergers, acquisitions and divestitures are not automated within the MPSA. Given the flexibility of the MPSA with
Purchasing Accounts organizations can manage these scenarios in a variety of ways depending on their specific
needs. This can include, but is not limited to, license transfers, establishing new Purchasing Accounts or
establishing a new MPSA. For guidance on a specific scenario, please contact your Partner Sales Executive (PSE).

Why is Microsoft retiring Select Plus for commercial customers?

As the MPSA transactional offer becomes available worldwide by the end of 2015, it is important that Microsoft
phase out Select Plus for commercial customers, which also provides transactional purchasing capability to the
same customer types. The phased retirement of Select Plus will avoid confusion for customers and maximize
Microsoft and partner return on the investment made to bring the MPSA to customers. The MPSA also provides a
simpler way for customers to purchase Online Services, Software, and Software Assurance.
Starting on July 1, 2015, Select Plus will no longer be available for new customer agreements, with an MPSA
offered in its place. From July 1, 2016, customers with existing Select Plus agreements will no longer be able to
make new purchases after their agreement anniversary. All future purchases will be moved to the MPSA.
Note that Select Plus is only retiring for commercial agreements. Government and academic customers will still be
able to sign new Select Plus agreements after the July 1, 2015 commercial retirement.
Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

You can view the frequently asked questions for more information on the Select Plus retirement.

2. Purchasing Accounts
What is a Purchasing Account?
With Purchasing Accounts, customers can buy for their organization based on their purchasing structure. A
Purchasing Account is a buying entity within an organization that can order and manage Online Services, software
and Software Assurance through an MPSA for use as needed within the organization.
Purchasing Accounts can represent a department, an affiliate, a subset of personnel, or the entire organization.
This model provides the flexibility to create the buying structure that best fits an organizations requirements.
Purchasing Accounts do not have an expiration date.
Each Purchasing Account is assigned a sector type commercial, academic, or government. Organizations can
create one or as many Purchasing Accounts as they require. However, one Purchasing Account must be
designated as the Agreement Administrator.

What is an Agreement Administrator account?

The Agreement Administrator is not a person or individual but an account that has a special set of permissions to
a specific Purchasing Account such as:

Manages the participation of other Purchasing Accounts in the MPSA.

Has a full view of licensing assets across all accounts.
Can terminate the MPSA and/or the association of Purchasing Accounts.
The Agreement Administrator designation can be moved to a different Purchasing Account at any time.

Can a single division or department be registered as a Purchasing Account?

Yes. Purchasing Accounts are created based on a customers legal entity(s) purchasing structure, for example by
department or location or with centralized purchasing from a headquarters location.

How do I set up Purchasing Accounts for both commercial and government or academic on one
MPSA?
A Purchasing Account is defined as any unit within your organization that you want to allow to purchase Products
both Software and Online Services. Your Purchasing Accounts are associated with your organizations MPSA,
through your defined legal entity on the Purchasing Account registration form. When you create a Purchasing
Account, you designate it as Commercial, Government or Academic. If you designate an account as Government or
Academic, it must meet the eligibility requirements from either the Qualifying Government Eligibility Definition at
http://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/DocumentSearch.aspx?Mode=3&DocumentTypeId=6 or the Qualified
Educational User requirements found at
http://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/DocumentSearch.aspx?Mode=3&DocumentTypeId=7.
Purchasing Accounts are independent of each other, so a customer can have a mix of Commercial, Government
and Academic accounts if they each satisfy the definition of an affiliate of the legal entity that signed the MPSA.
Government and Academic affiliate definitions differ from the Commercial definition; the definition is included in
the Agreement.

Can customers work with multiple partners on a Purchasing Account?

Yes. Customers can have multiple partners on a Purchasing Account for their transactional purchases. You can
view the purchases your customer made through your organization.

If more than one reseller can transact on a single Purchasing Account, can more than one
reseller see all of a customers order information on the MVLPC?
More than one reseller can be on a Purchasing Account, and each reseller can see the customer's entire asset
position, but not the resellers associated to each order. The Partner that set up the sales package will be added
automatically to the customers first Purchasing Account.
Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

What is the definition of legal entity in terms of Purchasing Accounts? Does the 50%
ownership still apply as it did with Affiliate Accounts in Select Plus?
A legal entity is a party able to enter into a contract with Microsoft. The 50% ownership requirement still applies
for commercial customers.
Government and Academic legal entities are eligible organizations that are considered affiliates of the
organization able to enter into a contract with Microsoft.

Are all Purchasing Accounts responsible for complying with the terms and conditions of the
agreement?
Yes. All legal entities and their registered Purchasing Accounts are bound by the terms and conditions of the
MPSA with which they are registered. The purchasing contact in the Agreement Administrator account is
responsible for managing the MPSA and Purchasing Account associations.

3. Government and Academic customers

How do I know if my customer is an eligible government or academic customer?
To qualify as a Government or Academic Purchasing Account, organizations must meet the eligibility requirements
for either.
Government customers can find the eligibility requirements at
http://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/DocumentSearch.aspx?Mode=3&DocumentTypeId=6.
Academic customers can find the Qualified Education User definition at
http://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/DocumentSearch.aspx?Mode=3&DocumentTypeId=7.

How does the MPSA compare to Select Plus for Government and Select Plus for Academic,
including any difference in price for government and academic compared to commercial?
The terms and conditions and the price level will differ from commercial for government and academic Purchasing
Accounts in the following ways:

Purchasing Account Type terms when registering a Government Purchasing Account or Academic
Purchasing Account, these terms cover those specific Customer type terms & conditions.

Purchasing Account Type country terms for government and academic customers in certain countries or
regions, there are additional terms & conditions that apply.

Pricing for on-premises licenses, Government and Academic Purchasing Accounts have a single price level
reflecting the most beneficial pricing that Microsoft can offer through the MPSA (for government, it is
equivalent to Select Plus Level D pricing; for academic, it is equivalent to Select Plus for Academic pricing).
Online Services are discounted from commercial ERP for government and academic customers.1

To qualify as a Government or Academic Purchasing Account, organizations must meet the eligibility requirements
which can be found at http://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/contracts.

What happens if a government or academic organization requires an agreement with a specific

end date instead of a non-expiring agreement?
For Government and Academic Purchasing Accounts, it is possible to specify an end date for purchases. When this
option is selected, subscription terms will not extend beyond this date. It is possible to extend this date, if needed.

What happens if a government or academic organization requires an agreement without

Professional Services Terms & Conditions in the MPSA?
For Government and Academic Purchasing Accounts only, it is possible to exclude Professional Services Terms &
Conditions. When registering a Purchasing Account, the box to opt-out the inclusion of Professional Services is

Dynamics CRM Online pricing is an exception and will align in a future release.

Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

checked by default. If a government or academic customer wants to exclude Professional Services Terms &
Conditions, you should check the opt-out box to remove Professional Services when creating the sales package.

If a government customer needs to cancel due to lack of funds, is that possible?

Yes. A government customer may terminate the agreement by submitting the appropriate form to their partner if
funds to make payments under the MPSA are not appropriated or otherwise no longer available. In this case, that
government customer does not have to make future payments for any software or services they havent used,
without penalty, and the customer will not be required to make future payments (other than payments for
outstanding invoices or for products ordered but not yet invoiced). The customer also keeps the rights to use any
software or services for which they have already paid.

If a government or academic customer cant prepay for Online Services (needs to do billing in
arrears), is that allowed?
Yes. A government or academic customer (not applicable to commercial organizations) can use the billing in
arrears option if it is required. When placing the order for the customer, you choose the billing frequency of "In
advance"(default), "in arrears monthly," or "in arrears quarterly."

Government customers do more paper signing than electronic. Is the information they get
signing on paper the same as a customer would get signing electronically, and how does that
work?
Yes. While electronic is the default signing method, there is the option of a physical signature. All agreements are
created electronically and you print it out for the customer to sign. You then submit the signed physical
agreement to Microsoft.

How do I know if a government customer in the U.S. is eligible for Government Community
Cloud?
A customer qualifies to use Government Community Cloud Online Services on the basis that it is a U.S.
government entity (including federal, state, local or tribal government, but excluding educational institutions)
using the services in its governmental capacity.

I have a U.S. customer using Office 365 in the Government Community Cloud. Can this customer
sign an MPSA and still access the GCC?
Yes. Existing GCC customers will be able to access their Office 365 or other Online Services. To avoid issues with
login, advice the customer to use the existing GCC work or school account when registering.

Will I be able to offer the MPSA through the Government Partner model (e.g. Select Plus for
Government Partner)?
The MPSA will not be available through the Government Partner model with this latest release. A future release will
include the ability to sign an MPSA through this model.
The Government Partner model is a purely indirect Microsoft Volume Licensing business offering between
government partners and Microsoft. With EA and Select Plus for Government Partners, partners that sell to
government customers can enter into these licensing agreements, based on their government contracts, using
Microsofts standard Product Use Rights (PUR) and other terms and conditions stipulated in an agreement
Addendum.

Can an academic customer license students through the MPSA?

Student offerings are not available yet through the MPSA. Software and Online Services offerings will be available
at faculty/organizational prices beginning March 2015.

How does the MPSA compare to the Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES)?
The MPSA is very different from EES. EES is a subscription licensing program, through which customers license
Software and Online Services organization-wide based on an annual count of their full-time equivalent (FTE)
employees and/or students. These licenses are non-perpetual and may only be used during the subscription
period. The MPSA is a transactional program that does not require an organization-wide commitment, and
software licenses purchased through MPSA are perpetual, meaning the customer can use the licensed software for
Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

as long as they want. Customers can also order Online Services subscriptions through the MPSA, which are
available as a subscription only. EES includes Software Assurance coverage, whereas Software Assurance is an
optional purchase with the MPSA. Finally, EES requires a corresponding agreement, either the Campus and School
Agreement or the Open Value Subscription Agreement for Education Solutions.
A closer comparison is the MPSA to Select Plus for Academic, which both offer transactional purchasing. However,
the MPSA offers additional flexibility and Online Services purchasing which are not available through Select Plus
for Academic.

4. Pricing
How are price levels applied?
For commercial organizations, the MPSA uses pricing levels A, B, C, D in exactly the same way as the Select Plus
agreement. The correct volume discount is automatically applied to product purchases based on the purchase
volume for both on-premises software and Online Services for the customers entire organization.
For eligible government organizations, on-premises software licenses are priced equivalent to Select Plus Level D
and Online Services are priced equivalent to Open License for Government. For eligible academic customers, onpremises software license pricing is equivalent to Select Plus for Academic pricing and Online Services are priced
equivalent to Open License for Academic.

Who is notified when the price level changes?

When the price level changes for a commercial organization, all registered Purchasing Account contacts and any
associated partners receive notification of the change.
While government and academic customers have a single price level, they will have to meet and maintain the
annual minimum point count of 500 points per pool or 250 Online Services licenses.

Are the points customers have accumulated published in the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center
and are they visible to registered Purchasing Accounts?
Yes. All agreement-level information is visible to all Purchasing Accounts, including up-to-date point
accumulation.

Will I be able to see total points count for a given customer?

Total points count is found in the MVLPC under the Reports tab, and is viewed as points by pool, by Purchasing
Account, and shows the total across the MPSA by Purchasing Account type. The report includes total sum points
and points required to reach the next level.
Example: Purchasing Account 1 (commercial) has 1,000 points in the Applications pool; PA 2 (commercial) has
50,000 points in the Applications pool. If you look at the PA 1 Applications pool or the PA 2 Applications pool,
both will show 51,000 points.

Will the price displayed on the MVLC represent the value of the actual indirect sales model,
including taxes and exchange rates? Will the different taxes from different locations within a
country be taken into account?
Microsoft does not display partner pricing to customers.

Are promotional SKUs available through the MVLPC?

No, promotional SKUs are not available for you to process separately from product SKUs. Instead, the appropriate
promotions are automatically applied to relevant products to ensure you have the correct discounted price using
only the product SKU.
You can easily find active promotion information via the Promotions Report on the Microsoft Volume Licensing
Partner Center. This report provides the discounted price for a product during a specific period of time. All
promotions start on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month. However a promotion can
run for multiple months. For a certain product, only one promotion can be available at any given time.

Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

Are promotions automatically applied to orders?
Yes.

Are Software Assurance Step-Up SKUs available?

No. Software Assurance Step-Up SKUs are currently not supported and are not included within the price list.
Software Assurance Step-Up SKUs will be included in a future release.

How often does the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center check purchases and adjust the
price level?
Price level adjustments are done automatically when the qualifying order for the next price level is placed. Any
order that qualifies for the next better price level immediately has the entire order granted at the new price level.
Leveling down will be delivered in the future and will be conducted yearly on the customers compliance
anniversary date.

Can I download the price list?

Yes. You can export the price list from the MVLPC to Microsoft Excel.

How will part numbers look in the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center compared to
other agreement types like the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA)?
Part numbers will start with AAA.

Can a customer use an existing contract to establish their price level?

Yes. Qualifying contracts can be used to set the price level through the MPSA for a particular product pool. These
include active Enterprise Agreements, Enterprise Subscription Agreements, Select Plus Agreements, and Select
Agreements.

5. Ordering
What products are available to order through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center?
Online Services (including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Office 365 add-ons, Microsoft Intune,
Yammer and Dynamics CRM Online), all software products and Software Assurance are available to order through
the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center. Additionally, all order types, including renewals and Online
Services reconciliations - a new type of order - are submitted through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner
Center.
A single order can contain multiple products and services and order types which reduces the total number of
orders you have to submit.
Subscriptions, e.g. MSDN, Visual Studio Team Suite (VSTS) Premium w/MSDN, VSTS Professional w/MSDN, VSTS
Test Professional w/MSDN, VSTS Ultimate w/MSDN, are not supported at this time and will be included in a future
release.

Can I sell the Enterprise Cloud Suite (ECS) through the MPSA?
The full USL is not available but the add-on SKU for EMS is available as of December 1, 2014. Also, the individual
components of the Enterprise Cloud Suite (Office 365 E3, EMS, Windows SA per User) are available through the
MPSA. The full ECS SKU will be available sometime in 2015.

Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

What is the subscription term for Online Services through the MPSA?
Online Services through the MPSA align to the next account anniversary date of the Purchasing Account.

Can customers place orders?

All MPSA orders, including for Online Services and Software Assurance, must be placed through a partner.
However, customers can provision Online Services via the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center (MVLC, the Volume
Licensing customer tool). When this occurs a provisioning notification is automatically sent to you so that you can
follow up with the customer to place the order.

Can customers order anything other than Online Services through the customer portal?
No. Only Online Services can be provisioned through the MVLC, and that process requires that a partner finalize
the order for the customer.

What are self-provisioned orders?

Self-provisioning lets customers request an online service be deployed to their computer so they can use the
online service immediately. Customers make the request through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center. Once
the request is made, a notification is automatically sent to the designated partner to complete the order with the
customer.
The order must be completed within 60 days of self-provisioning. If an order is not placed, the seats are reduced
to the previous number ordered.

Is there a limit to the number of Online Services customers can self-provision?

A customer can self-provision a maximum of 50 seats in a single order. The customer should work with the partner
to place an order prior to self-provisioning additional seats.

Am I required to process a customers Online Services order?

No, you can reject the self-provisioned order. However, if you reject the order the customer can designate a
different partner and resubmit the order.

Will Microsoft bill customers directly for OLS seats they have self-setup if a partner rejects the
self-provisioned order and does not place a reconciliation order?
No, the order will either be canceled or the customer can choose a new partner.

What happens to seats that were self-provisioned but not ordered?

The customer must un-assign seats they have not purchased within 60 days of provisioning, or those seats will be
removed.

When a customer completes self-provisioning of Online Services, do they have visibility to

pricing?
Customers will not have visibility in the MVLC to pricing when they self-provision, since pricing is set by the
partners. The request is submitted to the partner to turn it into an order.

How does the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center support renewals?
Notifications and reports are available to you in order to identify upcoming Online Services and Software
Assurance expiration dates for customers with an MPSA. If an Online Services renewal is not received on time,
Microsoft will start the de-provisioning process in sixty days.

6. Software Assurance
Is Software Assurance available through the MPSA?
Yes, Software Assurance is an option available through the MPSA.

Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

What purchasing options are available for Microsoft Software Assurance through the MPSA?
The MPSA offers two purchasing options for Software Assurance:
1.

The Purchasing Account Anniversary (similar to the Affiliate Anniversary) that customers can use to spread out
payments annually with any proration of Software Assurance amounts on the first payment.

2.

The Order Anniversary with any proration of cost on the last payment that customers can use to spread out
payments across full-year increments. This can help reduce initial up-front costs and provide annual budget
predictability.

Do customers with an MPSA receive the same Software Assurance benefits as customers with
the Microsoft Select Plus Agreement or the Microsoft Select Agreement?
Yes. The same benefits through Select Plus or Select agreements are available as an option through the MPSA.

How can I more accurately calculate Software Assurance benefits through the MPSA?
Microsoft simplified the calculations processes to a points-based system for key benefits (Planning Services,
Training Vouchers, and 24x7 Problem Resolution Support). This gives partners and, as a result, customers a clear
and accurate process for calculating the exact numbers of each specific benefit they are entitled to. The new
system can also help improve Software Assurance benefit management. In addition, partners have more
predictability when quoting Software Assurance entitlements by benefit.

When are Software Assurance benefits calculated and available?

Placing an order triggers Software Assurance calculations. Customers can see their Software Assurance benefits in
real time through the MVLC after you place the order.

Can a customer see Software Assurance benefits in an all-up organizational view?

Yes. In previous releases, customers could see Software Assurance benefits on a Purchasing Account basis only.
Now they can see an aggregated view of all Software Assurance benefits consumption.

Can customers renew Software Assurance from other Volume Licensing programs like Microsoft
Select Plus or Microsoft Open?
Yes. A Software Assurance expiration date is an excellent time to transition Software Assurance benefits to the
MPSA. Note that when transitioning Software Assurance to the MPSA, customers must reach points per-pool
minimums within the first year of transacting through the MPSA.

Is there a process to allow a transition from Select Plus to MPSA prior to the Select Plus
Software Assurance expiration?
We do not currently offer a mid-term transition to MPSA of Software Assurance purchased through other
agreements. Microsoft is interested in supporting this in a future release of the MPSA and associated platform.

Can customers allocate Software Assurance benefits for multiple Purchasing Accounts?
No. Customers must purchase Software Assurance benefits per Purchasing Account.

Can a customer reallocate Software Assurance benefits to another Purchasing Account?

No. Benefit transfers are not currently supported between purchasing accounts but benefits can be used by
anybody within the organization.

Can customers grant administrative access to partners outside of the customer organization for
Software Assurance benefits administration?
No. Customers can manage their Software Assurance benefit(s) through the MVLC. Partners can see a customer's
Software Assurance benefit(s) through the MVLPC.

Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

7. The Microsoft Volume Licensing Tools
What is the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center?
The Microsoft Volume Licensing Center (MVLC) is a tool that your customers use to set up their work or school
account, provision Online Services, and view and manage their licensing assets and other important information.
You can perform these functions for customers if they grant you access to do so and create a work or school
account(s) for you within the organization.
Note that customers cannot currently see legacy assets at this time.

What happens if the Domain Administrator completes all of the steps to register for access to
Microsoft Volume Licensing Center, but does not sign in?
The Domain Administrator must sign in to the MVLC using their new work or school account to complete the
association between your Microsoft Domain and your Purchasing Account; if this is not done, the registration
process will not be completed, and you will be unable to access your software, services, and other features of
MVLC. Go to https://licensing.microsoft.com to sign in to the MVLC.
There are several resources available to help customers with the registration process, including step-by-step
videos and guides. See http://www.microsoft.com/mpsa for customer resources.

What if the customers preferred Microsoft-assigned domain name is already taken?

Microsoft-assigned domain names (example.onmicrosoft.com) are assigned on a first come, first served basis. If
the name your customer selected is already taken, your customer must choose a different name.
If your customer has chosen a unique name and it is unlikely that someone outside of its organization would have
selected it, we recommend that your customer verify whether someone in its organization has already established
a tenant. For example, if your customers organization already subscribes to a Microsoft Online Service or trial,
your customer already has a tenant. In this case, your customer should sign in to the existing tenant using its work
or school account and skip the creation of a new tenant.
Otherwise, choose a different name. Remember, after your customer has created its work or school account, your
customer can associate its public domain with the account and use its public domain for its work or school
account IDs instead of its Microsoft-assigned (example.onmicrosoft.com) domain.

Why should my customer associate its public domain with its tenant?
By associating the public domain, instead of users having to sign in to the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center
and/or Online Services with their separate Microsoft-assigned user ID (for example
jsills@fabrikam.onmicrosoft.com), your customer can use its public domain user ID (for example,
jsills@Fabrikam.com).

What happens if the Domain Administrator sets up a new tenant when a Microsoft online
service (for example Office 365) tenant has previously been created and your customers
organization wants to use the previous tenant for Microsoft Volume Licensing Center?
Contact Microsoft Support at https://licensing.microsoft.com/Customer/Portal/ContactUs.

What is the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center?

The Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center is your tool to create quotes and sales packages, generate orders,
and manage your customers products and services they have transacted through you. When the next generation
of Volume Licensing initiative is fully realized, you can then identify sales opportunities with a full view of your
customers assets and potential add-on opportunities transacted through the MPSA.
Useful information: To access the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center for the first time, you need to set up
an organization account in Microsoft Azure Active Directory. Additionally, if you want to use your public domain,
you must associate your domain with the work or school account. For more information you can review the LSP
Change Management playbook or download the Guide to Registering for Access the Microsoft Volume Licensing
Center.

Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

10

MPSA Frequently Asked Questions

What key capabilities will I find in the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center?
Using the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center, you can do the following:

Create the MPSA sales package and associated Purchasing Accounts and send the agreement to your
customer for signature electronically

Create and submit transactional orders

Download software
Retrieve product license keys
View invoicing
Do I have the ability to work on behalf of a customer through the MVLPC?
There is a simplified work on behalf of that allows a partner to send a request to a customer to manage their
benefits. Note that customers cannot make the request via the MVLC; the partner has to initiate the request to
ensure the partner is informed and willing to work on behalf of the customer. Once the partner makes the request
and the customer accepts it, the partner can work on behalf of the customer. To manage benefits, the individual
at the partner must have the Benefit Manager user role in MVLPC. Anyone who has that role can manage benefits
for any customer that has accepted the request to manage benefits.

Why is a tenant required to access the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center?
Microsoft Online Services, the Microsoft Volume Licensing Partner Center and the Microsoft Volume Licensing
Center use the Microsoft Azure Active Directory services to authenticate users at sign in to permit access based on
assigned roles.

2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT. This information is provided to help guide your authorized use of
products you license; it is not your agreement. Your use of products licensed under your volume license agreement is governed by the terms and conditions of that agreement. In the case of any conflict
between this information and your agreement, the terms and conditions of your agreement control. Prices for licenses acquired through Microsoft resellers are determined by the reseller.
V03_15

Microsoft Products and Services Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for Partners

11