Evaluating Microsoft's Software Assurance

Whether acquired via the Microsoft Select Plus agreement or Enterprise Agreement (EA), many organizations have signed up to the Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) program, but time and again we find that these clients either don't know what SA includes or are not making best use of all the benefits SA offers. As a result, Forrester receives many inquiry calls from sourcing and vendor management (SVM) professionals who see SA as an expensive line item and are questioning its value. Knowing what SA includes and evaluating how those benefits relate to your organization are key first steps in understanding whether SA delivers good value. This report summarizes the main SA benefits and gives some tips to help your evaluation.