Volume Licensing Options

Acquiring an MSDN subscription through Microsoft Volume Licensing simplifies the management of software licenses and media by enabling you to manage all your software assets through one program. There are a number of Volume Licensing programs available, each designed for a different size of organization, products being licensed, and the way in which those products will be used. Software acquired through Volume Licensing is a software license only, although you may also receive complimentary media kits. MSDN Subscriptions are available through all Microsoft Volume Licensing programs.  Volume Licensing programs offer potential savings over retail purchases.

MSDN Subscriptions and their media benefits are managed online by people that your organization designates.  This allows you to assign Subscription licenses, assign media shipments, and manage your software assets. Subscription licenses can be transferred between team members at most once every 90 days, such as for staff changes or employees taking on new roles.

The number of complimentary media kits you will receive is based on the number of licenses ordered, the licensing program, and the subscription level. For example, Select and Enterprise Agreement customers receive 1 media kit for every MSDN Subscription level (e.g., Visual Studio Professional with MSDN Premium is one level) in the agreement. Open License customers receive 1 media kit for every 5 MSDN Subscription licenses of the same level. You can purchase additional media kits from your reseller if necessary.

When purchasing additional media, there are Comprehensive Kits and Subscription Kits.  The Comprehensive Kit is a one-time shipment of a complete media "welcome kit" for a given MSDN Subscription level; it is intended for new subscribers and does not include subsequent media updates. Subscription Kits are for regular media updates and are billed according to the number of months remaining on your agreement.

See more information about Volume Licensing and the benefits it offers.

If you are responsible for managing MSDN Subscriptions purchased through Volume Licensing, see our Volume Licensing Help.