In addition to commercial accounts, Microsoft offers volume license agreements that apply to four areas: government, education, healthcare and nonprofit. Before beginning a negotiation for these types of agreements you must be able to establish eligibility for one of these programs.
Recently, Miro worked with a customer who had been enrolled in the education agreement program and because of the way the organization evolved structurally it no longer qualified.
Each of these programs has its own set of discounts and benefits that are particular to them. For example, the Education program offers discounts for teachers and students when the institution has an agreement with Microsoft. It can also help lead to establishing a “lab” for use by students. There are also a number of free software titles for educators.
Each of these programs offers discounts and reduced license requirements that can be beneficial, but like any Microsoft agreement, it’s important to understand what the most important requirements are, consider the terms and conditions and be sure you can establish and maintain eligibility for those programs for the long term.