I have received a few messages from Partners this week, in addition to seeing a few Blog posts, regarding a recent announcement that went out about two of the new Software Assurance Packaged Services that Microsoft has added to the existing list of Packaged Services previously available through Software Assurance. There seem to be several questions about what these are, who qualifies for them, who are the Packaged Services providers, and how can a Partner become a Packaged Services provider? I am putting together this post to help address these questions.

1. What are Software Assurance Packaged Services? Packaged Services is a Microsoft Software Assurance for Volume Licensing (SA) benefit and offers four types of consulting engagements:
• Desktop Deployment Planning Services
• SharePoint Deployment Planning Services
• Exchange Deployment Planning Services (NEW)
• Business Value Planning Services (NEW)
2. Who is eligible for these Software Assurance Packaged Services?
• To qualify for these services, customers must purchase a qualifying number of Office Application licenses and/or number of Core CAL suites and Enterprise CAL suites with Software Assurance. The number of days of Packaged Services they can receive is based on these points that are put into a pool of Packaged Services days from which the customer can create vouchers for the service offerings. Customers may choose one or more of the services and may select from available service levels up to the number of Packaged Service days they have available.
3. How many licenses of Office, Core CAL, or Enterprise CAL does a customer need to buy to qualify for these Packaged Services?
• The chart showing how many days they receive for each level of purchase is included in the Microsoft Product List; however, the minimum level of purchase for either the Office pool or the Server pool is 200.
4. What do each of these Packaged Services provide?
• Desktop Deployment Planning Services (DDPS):
  DDPS can help you ensure successful deployment of Microsoft Office or Windows software to increase usage, increase productivity, and lower costs. Your consultant collaborates with you to create a comprehensive deployment plan that includes analysis, business case, process, and technical procedures. The service is based on the Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment and best practices from Microsoft, and the objective is to help reduce the cost and complexity associated with high levels of process and automation. The number of engagement days is 1, 3, 5, 10, or 15, as determined by your Software Assurance coverage. Learn More | Register
• SharePoint Deployment Planning Services (SDPS):
  SDPS is designed to help your organization plan an effective deployment of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server. Your consultant shares best practices, analyzes your organizational environment, and provides tools and services to help you optimize the effectiveness of the Office SharePoint Service core capabilities, help lower the cost of deployment, and help improve the productivity of your organization. The number of engagement days is 1, 3, 5, 10, or 15, as determined by your Software Assurance coverage. Learn More | Register
• Exchange Deployment Planning Services (EDPS):
  EDPS is designed to help guide your organization through the deployment planning stages of a Microsoft Exchange implementation. Through a structured engagement, your consultant reviews new Microsoft Exchange product features, shares best practices, analyzes organizational requirements, provides hands-on deployment training, and helps create comprehensive deployment and implementation plans. The number of engagement days is 3, 5, 10, or 15, as determined by your Software Assurance coverage. Learn More | Register
• Business Value Planning Services (BVPS):
  BVPS helps your organization's business decision makers develop a plan to maximize the business value of the Microsoft Office system through structured, multi-day engagements. Your consultant works with you to document, analyze, and design a plan that helps you unlock the potential of your existing investment, drive change, and improve your business processes. The number of engagement days is 3, 5, 10, or 15, as determined by your Software Assurance coverage. Learn More | Register
5. How do partners register to deliver Microsoft Packaged Services?
• Partners can register on the Microsoft Office System Solution Directory (OSSD) to offer Packaged Services to eligible SA customers. Partners can review the Packaged Services agreement, associate individual consultants that have passed the certification exam with the partner’s profile, and designate which engagement lengths they are interest in offering. Partners can also outline the geographies in which they are interested in offering these services, so that customers will be able to find local partners.
• Here are the direct links for those of you interested in providing these:
• Desktop Deployment Planning Services
• SharePoint Deployment Planning Services
• Exchange Deployment Planning Services
• Business Value Planning Services
6. Are these Software Assurance Packaged Services a new offering from Microsoft?
• Microsoft has had Desktop Deployment Planning Services and SharePoint Deployment Planning Services available as Software Assurance benefits for quite some time. What we have just announced is the addition of two new Software Assurance Packaged Services: Exchange Deployment Planning Services and Business Value Planning Services.

I hope this helps address and answer many of the questions floating around regarding the Software Assurance Packaged Services benefits and how they work. If you have additional input, feedback, or questions, please let me know.

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman
Global Partner Experience Lead
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights