SPLA

Licensing options for service providers

The Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) is for service providers and independent software vendors (ISVs) who want to license the latest eligible Microsoft software products to provide software services and hosted applications to end customers.

Overview

With the SPLA, service providers and ISVs can license eligible Microsoft products on a monthly basis, during a three-year agreement term, to host software services and applications for their customers. The SPLA supports a variety of hosting scenarios to help you provide highly customized and robust solutions to a wide set of customers.

Benefits

The following benefits are available through the SPLA:

Gain flexibility to deliver tailored IT services to your customers through a dedicated or shared hosting environment.
Pay only for licenses based on what you make available to provide software services for each month. There are no start-up costs or long-term commitments.
Provide your customers with the most current and capable Microsoft platform. Conveniently download your products at no charge through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) instead of ordering physical media.
Use Microsoft Products to deliver software services to end customers in and from any part of the world where distribution is legally allowed.
Expand business reach to small and midsize businesses that provide software services through additional resellers.
Have the option to focus on hosting your application solutions and acquire infrastructure as a service (IaaS) from a Data Center Provider, including Microsoft Azure.
Install Microsoft products on servers under the day-to-day management and control of an outsourcing company to deliver your software services based on your capacity and server management capabilities. The outsourcer can then perform data center administration, testing, and maintenance support services on the end customer’s behalf.
Test and evaluate products internally before offering them to your customers as a service.
Install Microsoft products on servers that are located on an end customer’s premises under your management and control.
Have up to 50 user product demos on Microsoft software and provide your customers with a free 60-day trial period.
Include your affiliates under a single agreement.
Expand your business with specific price offerings available to your academic end customers.
Simplify licensing with the Microsoft Business and Services Agreement (MBSA). After an MBSA is in place, you sign a shorter and more simplified SPLA every three years. It also makes it easier to purchase Premier and Professional support.