“Not only did we save money up-front with the Open Value Subscription option, but we also reduced administration time because we have to support only one version of the Windows operating system.”

Anders Christensen, IT Manager, Lind & Risør

To both reduce costs and provide its employees with consistent, up-to-date technology, architectural and homebuilding firm Lind & Risør enrolled in Microsoft Volume Licensing Open Value programs. With the Open Value Organization-Wide and Subscription options and the included Software Assurance benefits, the firm has access to the latest Microsoft software, optimizing productivity and saving up to 15 percent on licensing costs.

Business NeedsSince 1980, Lind & Risør has built individually crafted houses of high quality at affordable prices. As with many homebuilders, the firm experienced a decline in business during the global financial crisis beginning in 2008 and began to seek ways to reduce costs. One area it focused on was software licensing.

Lind & Risør has had a Microsoft Volume Licensing Open Value Organization-Wide agreement and Software Assurance benefits for several years. The agreement covers Microsoft Office Professional Plus, Microsoft Exchange Server messaging software, Microsoft SQL Server data management software, and the Windows Server operating system. The firm acquired OEM licenses for the Windows client operating system with the purchase of new computers.

By 2010, when the company was about to renew its Open Value Organization-Wide agreement, the majority of its 65 PCs were still running Windows XP, with the rest running Windows 7. The company hadn’t included the Windows client in its Volume Licensing agreement, because it typically upgraded only a few PCs at a time when it licensed new hardware. However, as Windows XP approached its end-of-sales date, Lind & Risør wanted to upgrade the

remaining PCs to Windows 7 at once and sought a licensing solution that was more cost-effective than acquiring OEM licenses. Also, because market conditions were still unpredictable, the company could not accurately forecast how many licenses it would need for a three-year period.

“We were seeking a solution to acquire all of our Windows licenses in one agreement, but we needed the flexibility to say, ‘This year we need 65 licenses, next year we may need only 50, and the following year we might need 70,’” says Anders Christensen, IT Manager for Lind & Risør.

SolutionChristensen discussed the licensing issue with the firm’s Microsoft Volume Licensing partner, Msec a/s, which Lind & Risør had worked with since 2005. Msec suggested that the firm acquire Windows 7 licenses under a Microsoft Open Value Subscription option, which includes Software Assurance.

With the Subscription option, Lind & Risør has the right to run the software on all of its licensed PCs during the term of the agreement. The firm pays a lower fixed price per PC for as long as it uses the software. It can reduce the number of licenses in years when its PC count

Customer: Lind & RisørWebsite: www.lr-hus.dk Customer Size: 200 employeesCountry or Region: DenmarkIndustry: ConstructionPartner: Msec

Customer ProfileLind & Risør, based in Copenhagen, is one of Denmark's largest residential homebuilders. It offers full architecture and construction services.

Software and Services Microsoft Office− Microsoft Office Professional Plus

2010 Microsoft Server Product Portfolio− Windows Server 2008− Microsoft Exchange Server 2007− Microsoft Exchange Server 2010− Microsoft SQL Server 2005− Microsoft SQL Server 2008

Windows 7 Services− Microsoft Volume Licensing − Microsoft Open Value Organization-

Wide− Microsoft Open Value Subscription − Microsoft Software Assurance

For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit: www.microsoft.com/casestudies

Microsoft Volume LicensingCustomer Solution Case Study

Homebuilder Saves Up to 15 Percent, Optimizes Workflow with Flexible Licensing

declines and increase the number when its PC count rises.

Upon signing the agreement in May 2010, Lind & Risør immediately took advantage of the included Software Assurance upgrade rights to upgrade the rest of its PCs to Windows 7.

The firm plans to upgrade to Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, Microsoft SQL Server 2008, and Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 by the end of 2011, taking advantage of the Software Assurance upgrade rights included with the Open Value Organization-Wide option. In addition, Lind & Risør uses the Software Assurance Home Use Program to provide employees with licensed copies of Office Professional Plus 2010 that they can install on their home PCs, to enable them to work at home and allow them to become familiar with the software before the upgrade is performed.

Christensen also occasionally uses the Software Assurance 24x7 Problem Resolution Support benefit and frequently uses Microsoft TechNet for Software Assurance to evaluate new Microsoft software. “When I hear about a Microsoft technology from some of my colleagues, I can try it out through TechNet to see if it can solve a specific problem for us before we acquire it,” says Christensen.

BenefitsLind & Risør has gained several benefits from its Microsoft Volume Licensing Open Value agreements, including:

Savings of up to 15 percent on licensing costs. With the Open Value Subscription agreement, Lind & Risør saved 10 to 15 percent on Windows licenses. “Not only did we save money up-front with the Open Value Subscription option, but we also reduced administration time because we have to support only one version of the Windows operating system,” says Christensen.

Increased purchasing flexibility. The Open Value Subscription agreement helps Lind & Risør streamline its Microsoft operating system acquisitions and provides the flexibility to change the number of Windows licenses as business conditions change. “The unpredictability

of the current housing market makes the flexibility of adjusting the licensing agreement very important for us,” says Christensen.

Optimized workflow. "Having consistent software across the company has provided much more optimized workflow because we’re all working on the same versions of applications. And we are able to implement systems that we have already tested through TechNet, so we know what they can do for us,” says Christensen. In addition, providing employees with Microsoft Office applications for home use through the Home Use Program saves training time and helps improve productivity.

Enhanced product decisions. “It is a big advantage to be able to evaluate a product through TechNet and demonstrate it to management before actually acquiring it,” says Christensen. “Sometimes we find that we need a different edition than we first thought, so TechNet has definitely helped us make the right decision about which product we really need.”

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published August 2011