BRIEF
Software Versions and Editions
OVERVIEW
Details
Who should read this brief:
CIOs, IT professionals, software
asset managers, IT asset
managers, SAM consultants,
and IT procurement managers.
What it’s about:
The key differences between
Microsoft® software versions and
software editions from a licensing
standpoint.
Why you should care:
To ensure you deploy, upgrade,
and downgrade your Microsoft
software in accordance with your
licensing agreements.
SUMMARY
Knowing the differences between
the licensing requirements for a
Microsoft software version and
an edition can help ensure that
your organization installs and
uses its software in accordance
with your Microsoft licensing
agreements. Microsoft’s
Software Asset Management
(SAM) program is providing this
brief to help you better
understand the licensing options
specific to versions and editions
and how those options affect
your ability to properly upgrade
and downgrade software to meet
your evolving business needs.
In today’s complex technology environments, it’s not uncommon for people to
mistakenly install a version or edition of Microsoft software that they are not legally
entitled to use. Improper installations usually occur because people are unaware of
the licensing requirements for their particular software and the appropriate upgrade
and downgrade paths available to them. It’s important to understand that
unauthorized installation, no matter how inadvertent, can render your software
ineligible for upgrades, downgrades, and Microsoft support; can disrupt productivity;
and can carry legal implications. Microsoft’s SAM program recommends that you
carefully review the upgrade and downgrade rights for the software licenses you
have in place in order to ensure that your organization can meet its Microsoft
licensing requirements and gain the full benefits from the software it has purchased.
Software Versions Versus Editions
As a general rule, subject to certain exceptions, upgrade and downgrade rights tend
to be available only between software versions, and not software editions. So for
example, let’s say you’re entitled to downgrade from your current version of Microsoft
Office Professional Plus 2010 to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007. However,
you are likely not authorized to upgrade between editions, for example, between
Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2007 and Microsoft Office Professional 2010.
Microsoft does, however, offer a license option for Volume Licensing customers with
Software Assurance to step up to a higher level; refer to the Software Assurance
Step-up Licensing Availability section below for more details.
Understanding Upgrade and Downgrade Rights
Each Microsoft software license identifies the specific version and edition that you’re
licensed to use for a particular product. Your ability to legally upgrade or downgrade
from one version to another or from one edition to another depends on such factors
as the terms of your Volume Licensing agreement and whether or not you have
purchased Software Assurance (SA). Upgrade rights are available through SA and
for Enterprise, Open, Select, and Select Plus agreements. In Volume Licensing, the
desktop PC operating system license is an “upgrade license.” You can only acquire
upgrade licenses for devices for which you have already licensed a “qualifying
operating system,” either preinstalled on a PC through a PC manufacturer or as full
packaged product (FPP) from retail. The Product List shows the “qualifying operating
systems” that qualify for an upgrade license; and is available at
www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/product-licensing.aspx#tab=2.
Also, some FPP upgrades are still offered for Windows® and for Office.
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Understanding Key Terms
Here are some important terms and concepts that can help you as you review your software licenses and the upgrade and
downgrade rights available to you. The more familiar you can become with this terminology, the greater your understanding
will be of the licensing requirements of your software.
• Version: A software version is typically identified by the product name, SKU, and major version identifier
(e.g., typically a year or a version number).
Example: Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 is a different version than Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010.
A complete version number for a Microsoft software product incorporates four stages in the product’s evolution — major
version, minor version, build, and revision—each of which is represented by a numerical identifier.
Example: 12.0.6514.5000 are the identifiers for a version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007, where
12 = major version, 0 = minor version, 6514 = build, and 5000 = revision.
For the purposes of Software Asset Management, the identifier for the major version (12 in the example above) is the
one to pay attention to: Different major version identifiers always signify different versions.
NOTE: You can access the complete version number for your software typically through the About information in the
software’s menu or through the Add/Remove Programs option in the Control Panel of Microsoft Windows.
• Edition: A software edition is a unique variant of the software product that is usually identified by the specific segment of
end users it is designed to serve. Each edition has a different stock keeping unit (SKU) number and is considered a
unique product by Microsoft.
Example: Editions for Microsoft Office 2007 include Student and Teacher, Small Business, Standard, Professional,
Professional Plus, and Enterprise.
Each software edition comes with different software. For instance, Office Standard 2007 comes with Word, Excel®,
Outlook®, and PowerPoint®. In contrast, Office Enterprise 2007 comes bundled with those programs and also with
OneNote®, Publisher, Access®, InfoPath®, Groove®, and Communicator.
• Downgrade Rights: As the name implies, downgrade rights allow you to downgrade your licensed software product to an
exact previous version—such as from Office Professional Plus 2010 to Office Professional Plus 2007. Downgrade rights
vary depending on the type of software license you have—e.g., volume license, original equipment manufacturer (OEM),
full packaged product (FPP), or electronic software distribution (ESD). Regardless of the license, however, downgrade
rights never allow you to switch to a different edition of the software, only to a different version.
– OEM Downgrade Rights: Rights to OEM versions of systems software are granted in the OEM License Terms.
For most OEM versions of systems software, these terms grant downgrade rights for the end user.
Example: The OEM License Terms for Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows Vista® Business, and
Windows Vista Ultimate operating systems grant downgrade rights. See the full text of the OEM License Terms for the
specific downgrade rights.
Likewise, the OEM License Terms for most OEM versions of server software released with or after Windows Server®
2003 R2 also grant downgrade rights for the end user. The only exceptions include OEM License Terms for the
Windows Server 2003 operating system products and Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition.
Rights to OEM versions of applications software are granted in the OEM License Terms, but do not grant
downgrade rights.
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– FPP Downgrade Rights: Downgrade rights are not granted under most FPP applications licenses, and are not granted
under FPP system licenses.
Downgrade rights are not granted under most FPP server licenses. Please consult the Software License Terms for
the software in question.
• Software Assurance New Product Versions: With New Product Versions, every Microsoft product license that is covered
by SA can be upgraded to the most recent version. This SA benefit is often refered to as “upgrade rights.” Here’s how it
works. When a new version of Microsoft Office is made available during the term of your coverage— for example, Office
Professional 2010 succeeds Office Professional 2007—your licenses are automatically upgraded to the new version.
Customers that acquire perpetual licenses through SA can deploy the upgrades after their coverage has expired.
• Software Assurance Step-up Licensing Availability: With Step-up Licensing Availability, Volume Licensing customers can
upgrade from a lower- to a higher-level software edition—such as Office Standard to Office Professional—without
incurring the full cost of licensing two separate editions of the software. Rather than pay full cost for the higher-level
software edition, Step-up Licensing allows you to pay only the pricing difference.
To obtain a Step-up License to a higher level edition of a qualifying product, you need a lower level edition license and
active Software Assurance in Open License Value, Select License, Select Plus, or Enterprise Agreement. The list of
products for which Step-up Licenses are available is subject to change. Please check the Microsoft Product List or the
Microsoft Volume Licensing Brief on Step-up Licenses for more details.
Upgrading and Downgrading Software Versions
You are authorized to upgrade to the latest version of a software product if:
• You have Software Assurance coverage on the underlying software product, in which case you can upgrade to the latest
version during the SA coverage period.
• You have purchased upgrade licenses through your Volume Licensing agreement, and have the qualifying underlying
license for the software product.
NOTE: Some FPP and OEM licenses still allow license holders to upgrade versions, through previously available
technology guarantee programs. Example: When Windows 7 was released to market, customers who bought a new PC or
laptop with the Windows Vista operating system could qualify for a free Windows 7 upgrade within a given period of time.
You are authorized to downgrade to a prior version of a product if:
• Your Volume Licensing agreement includes downgrade rights.
When Volume Licensing Downgrade rights are granted at the agreement level, SA is not required.
Upgrading and Downgrading Software Editions
There are only two ways to downgrade or upgrade to a new edition of a software product:
• Purchase a full product license for the edition you’re interested in.
• Purchase a Software Assurance Step-up License, available to customers through Microsoft’s Volume
Licensing program.
SAM Brief Series
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This brief is one in a series of in-depth guides to help you understand Microsoft’s product licensing and to provide guidance
to simplify meeting the requirements of your licensing agreements. The information in these briefs helps ensure that your
organization uses Microsoft software in accordance with the terms of its agreements, which in turn helps you meet your
compliance goals while reducing your exposure to potential liabilities.
Refer to the SAM Briefs page to download the other briefs in the series:
• Proof of License for Microsoft Software
• Windows Multilingual User Interface
Additional Resources
For more information, please contact your Microsoft account representative or visit one of the following websites:
Software Asset Management: www.microsoft.com/sam/
Microsoft Volume Licensing: www.microsoft.com/licensing/
Microsoft Volume Licensing: www.microsoft.com/licensing
Product Use Rights: www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/product-licensing.aspx
Product List: www.microsoft.com/licensing/productlist
Product Licensing Search: www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/
Microsoft Software Assurance FAQs: www.microsoft.com/licensing/software-assurance/faq.aspx
Downgrade Rights Chart (Licensing Brief):
download.microsoft.com/download/6/8/9/68964284-864d-4a6d-aed9-f2c1f8f23e14/Downgrade_Rights.docx
Software Assurance Step-Up Licenses (Licensing Brief):
download.microsoft.com/download/a/6/9/a69a4aa0-717a-4f73-bbcd-9d7451fddbbc/stepup_license.docx
OEM and Full Packaged Product Software License Terms: www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms/
OEM Downgrade Rights Details & FAQ: oem.microsoft.com/script/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=552856
Windows Server 2008 Server Downgrade Rights Details & FAQ:
www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/downgrade-rights.aspx
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can we use our license for Visio
Professional 2007 to install Visio
Standard 2007?
No. Visio® Professional and Visio
Standard are two different editions
and, therefore, two unique products.
As such, your license to use Visio
Professional does not entitle you to
install Visio Standard, or any other
edition, even if you’re moving from a
higher edition to a lower one.
Can we use our license for Visio
Professional 2007 to install Visio
Professional 2003?
It depends on your license
agreement. Visio Professional 2007
and Visio Professional 2003 are two
different versions of the same
product. Your right to downgrade
from one version to another is
always governed by the terms of the
product software license.
If, for example, you have a Volume
Licensing agreement for Visio
Professional 2007, you have the
right to downgrade to Visio
Professional 2003. All software
purchased through our Volume
Licensing program includes
downgrade rights.
If, however, you have a full
packaged product (FPP), an
electronic software distribution
(ESD), or an original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) license, you
may not be entitled to downgrade to
another version of the software.
(Note: Some OEM licenses do,
however, include downgrade rights
for operating system software, so
check your license agreement for
the legality of operating system
downgrades.)
Can I acquire the Step-up License if
I licensed the Standard edition
software under a previous
agreement and renewed Software
Assurance on a current agreement?
Yes. If you have active Software
Assurance on the Standard edition
software license, then you may
acquire the Step-up License.
If my organization has Software
Assurance, can we upgrade to the
new version of any product?
You may upgrade to the latest
version of any underlying licensed
product for which you have Software
Assurance coverage.
Which 2007 Microsoft Office system
suites are eligible to downgrade to
Office 2003 suites?
Customers who have licensed
Microsoft Office Professional Plus
2007 are eligible to downgrade to
Office Professional Enterprise 2003
and all previous versions as
described above. Customers who
have licensed Microsoft Office
Standard 2007 are eligible to
downgrade to Office Standard
Edition 2003 and all previous
versions of Office Standard Edition.
© 2011 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer This brief should be used and read in conjunction with the terms and conditions under which Microsoft products are licensed. If you acquire licenses under a Microsoft Volume Licensing Program (e.g.,
Enterprise Agreement or Select Plus), you should refer to the Product Use Rights for the products and the program agreement under which the licenses are acquired. The type and number of licenses required may
vary based on how and where you deploy the software.
This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT. This information is provided to help guide your authorized use of products
you license; it is not your agreement. Your use of products licensed under your volume license agreement is governed by the terms and conditions of that agreement. In the case of any conflict between this information
and your agreement, the terms and conditions of your agreement control. Prices for licenses acquired through Microsoft resellers are determined by the reseller.
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