On August 15th, we will be releasing an update to the Microsoft® Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC), which is the single online resource for Microsoft Volume Licensing customers and partners to view Licensing information, download Microsoft software, and manage Volume Licensing benefits and subscriptions. This update brings improvements to some of the top used functions of VLSC to bring a better experience to its user, including significantly improving and streamlining product and key search functionality, making it easier for customers to get to their licensing assets more quickly. Here’s a quick overview of some of the changes you will see in the August 15th release:

• A new look – a user interface with improved access to help and resources
• The Product downloads and Product keys pages are now combined into one. From this one new Downloads and Keys page, you will be able to:
  • View a product description
  • Download products
  • Get the product’s key(s)
  • Purchase Media Kits, if qualified
• The Online Services and Subscriptions pages will be combined into one Subscriptions menu. No changes will be made to the navigation, page content or links in these sections of the VLSC.
• New visibility into License Grants, which means you can now see what promotional products your customer is entitled to.
  

Not only does this new release of the VLSC reflect the input we have received from a combination of over 1,000 users from partners and customers worldwide through interviews and online feedback, but for the past few months, we have had thousands of users from customers and partners worldwide utilizing this updated interface that has been running in parallel to the current production VLSC site in a beta mode. As they have been using the new site, we have been collecting their input and feedback through online feedback as well as phone calls with them to collect their feedback for this release.

Below are a couple of actual screenshots from the new VLSC site that we will be bringing online on August 15th:

New VLSC site home page (Click picture to view full size)

New VLSC Downloads and keys page (Click picture to view full size)

In addition to these screenshots above, here are a couple of videos that you can view to learn more about these changes coming to VLSC:

• How to Use the VLSC
• Downloads and Keys

As always, we continue to work to improve your experience and prioritize features that will make the most impact for our users. As an example of this, an upcoming release will focus on Software Assurance Benefit and Subscription administration.

To learn more about the upcoming changes taking place on VLSC on August 15th, please join us for a Microsoft LiveMeeting: “What’s New with the VLSC” on August 11, 2011. You can register for this upcoming Live Meeting session HERE.

Partners can find more information about VLSC on the Microsoft Partner Network portal.

I would also like to extend a big “Thank you” to all of you that have been active participants in utilizing the new VLSC interface as it has been running in test mode parallel to the existing production site and for all of the feedback and input you have provided to us throughout the experience as we worked towards the August 15th launch date of the new interface. 

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Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman – Follow me on TWITTER, LinkedIn, and RSS and see “What I’m thinking”
Director, Worldwide Partner Experience
Microsoft Corporation
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