Open Value Licensing & Office

[Ben]

Hi,

I'm putting together a proposal for our MD, recommending we go down the Open
Value Licensing route for all future software, rather than just buying OEM
with new workstations.

One of the reasons for doing this, is that we will start pushing Office out
via Group Policy, rather than installing manually, I know you can't do this
with OEM/Retail versions of office as you need volume license versions. So,
does an Open Value license count as a volume license? I would assume that it
does, but I want to check, before basing my proposal on it!

Many thanks

Ben

 

[Paul Ballou]

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/open/openvalue.mspx

--
Paul Ballou
MVP Office
http://office.microsoft.com/home
http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/
http://www.ballousgiftshop.com

 

[Ben]

Hi Paul,

I have looked through that web site, been on it most of this afternoon.
However there is nothing that definitively says 'you can deploy open license
product via central group policy' all it says is 'The ability to deploy the
software you need now. Open Value grants the rights to run any version of
the software so that you can stay current and upgrade when you want.'

I just want to make sure that if we go with this, and it comes to deploying
Office across the network, I'm not going to put the Cd in, try and create an
administrative installation point, and get the 'Sorry you can not create
administrative installs with this version of office' error message.

Ben

 

[Paul Ballou]

Hi Ben,
You should contact Microsoft for a specific answer if you can not find
any thing on the web site

--
Paul Ballou
MVP Office
http://office.microsoft.com/home
http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/
http://www.ballousgiftshop.com

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Ben,

MS Open licenses can enable you to acquire MS Office Enterprise editions with volume license keys. Note that for Office 2007, that
deployment by GPO isn't the 'favored' method as the customization files for Office 2007 are .MSP Patch files and those aren't
supported by a GPO deployment directly.

===========
Hi Paul,

I have looked through that web site, been on it most of this afternoon.
However there is nothing that definitively says 'you can deploy open license
product via central group policy' all it says is 'The ability to deploy the
software you need now. Open Value grants the rights to run any version of
the software so that you can stay current and upgrade when you want.'

I just want to make sure that if we go with this, and it comes to deploying
Office across the network, I'm not going to put the Cd in, try and create an
administrative installation point, and get the 'Sorry you can not create
administrative installs with this version of office' error message.

Ben >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Ben]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the details. For the moment, I think we are going to stick with
Office 2003, until we have a migration plan, and can do everyone together.

I've found a few pages about deploying Office 2007 (such as
http://www.software-repackaging.com/index.php?q=how-to-customize-and-deploy-office-2007)
it's strange that now Group Policy isn't 'favoured when in the past, GP has
been pushed as the best solution for such deployments!

Cheers

Ben