Does Microsoft Action Pack Include Office

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Appropriate roles: MPN partner admin

The following article answers some of the main questions Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) partners have about their MPN membership benefits, competencies, and product licenses.

Microsoft offers “professional” versions of its Microsoft Office software packages, such as Office Professional 2019. There’s also the excellent Microsoft 365 Business plan, which includes Microsoft Office programs and other valuable tools. Is there a special version of Microsoft Office for families and students? If you want Microsoft for. Access below resources to learn more about the software benefits that you get with Microsoft Action Pack. MPN Benefit Package Usage Guide. Buy for the first time or renew a Microsoft Action Pack subscription. Move your business forward with Microsoft Action Pack.

Responding to COVID-19

Q.Our competency anniversary date is coming up, and we are unable to meet competency requirements due to impacts related to COVID-19. What should we do?

Other programs that come with the download include the 2013 versions of PowerPoint, Publisher and Access. Use the included Lync as a new instant messenger to stay connected with friends, family and even coworkers. Even if you used Microsoft Office in the past, you'll find some new features on the 2013 version. The Software Licensing for Action Pack subscribers spreadsheet only lists Windows based products, and does not explicitly include Microsoft Office for Mac - but it does appear to include 'Office.

A. If your competency anniversary date is between January 1 and June 30, 2021, we are extending your existing competency or competencies (with the exception of the Cloud Business Applications competency) through your next anniversary date in 2022. You will not need to meet exam or performance requirements, but you will still pay the competency fee. For more information, please see our blog post.

Membership

Q: What is the process and timing for renewing competencies?

A: Your company can renew a competency in Partner Center. Youneed to meet the competency performance requirements, validate requiredexams and skills each year, and pay the annual fee within the renewalwindow to retain competency status and access to associated benefits.

Prior to renewing your competency, the Global admin or Account adminfor your company needs to review and update thebusiness information. They can access the company profile inPartner Center to see the status and review what information needsto be updated. Additional documentation may be required to verify yourinformation.

Your renewal window begins on the anniversary of your purchase dateplus one day. For example, if you purchased the Microsoft Action Packon September 1, 2020, your 30-day renewal period begins on September2, 2021. The Global admin and MPN admin roles in your companyreceive the renewal communication leading up to your anniversary dateand 30 days after. You will continue to have access to associatedbenefits during the renewal window.

For additional information, please visit Renew MPNOffer.

Q: When can we renew my Microsoft Action Pack?

A: Your company can renew your Microsoft Action Packin Partner Center during your renewal window.

Prior to renewing your Action Pack, the Global admin or Account adminfor your company will need to review and update your company businessinformation. They can access your company's profile in Partner Centerto see your status and understand what information needs to beupdated. Additional documentation may be required to verify yourinformation.

Your renewal window begins on the anniversary of your purchase dateplus one day. For example, if you purchased the Microsoft Action Packon September 1, 2020, your 30-day renewal period begins on September2, 2021.You will continue to have access to associated benefits duringthe renewal window.

Does Microsoft Action Pack Include Office 365

For additional information, please visit Renew MPNOffer

Q: What's the difference between the Microsoft Action Pack and theLearning Action Pack?

A: The Microsoft Action Pack is a portfolio of resources to helppartners like you familiarize with Microsoft technologies and build yoursolution/service. You can purchase one Microsoft Action Pack whether youhave a competency or not.

The Learning Action Pack is the entry level into the LearningPartner Program. The Learning program provides resources for businesseswho offer technology training and/or have a learning practice. TheLearning Action Pack offers discounts on Courseware, Marketplace, and benefits to helppartners become experts across various Microsoft product lines.Please refer to the licensing tablefor the Microsoft Action Pack and the Learning Action Pack.

Q:What happens to our competency or Action Pack benefits duringthe 30-day renewal period?

A: Per the MPN Agreement, you will continue to have access to programbenefits as long as your membership is active. Once a membershipexpires, access to benefits will be lost.

For additional information, please visit Renew MPNOffer

Product licenses

Q: What are the current offers for partners in the Microsoft PartnerNetwork on product licenses?

A: Product licenses (also referred to as internal use licenses orinternal use rights) are included in the benefits for partners thatattain a competency or purchase a Microsoft Action Pack. Get a list ofcurrent offers of product licenses from the Microsoft Partner NetworkPrograms Guide.

Q: Can a single token be used to unlocked multiplesubscriptions?

A: No, you can't split tokens to unlock multiple subscriptions. Thetokens must be used in the format provided. For example, a 25-seat tokencan't be split into 5 different 5-seat tokens.

For additional information, please review the Microsoft PartnerPrograms Guideaka.ms/partner-benefits-use-guide

Q:If we activated our token for cloud services on a wrong tenant,or added seats instead of extending, can we get a replacement token?

A: Replacement tokens for cloud service activations on wrong tenant andfor seats added by mistake on existing subscriptions, can be issuedone-time only, within 30 days after activation of the original token.

For additional information, please review the Microsoft PartnerPrograms Guideaka.ms/partner-benefits-use-guide

Does Microsoft Action Pack Include Office 2016

Q: For on-premises software product licenses, do we need to have aproduct key for installation?

A: Not all products require a product key. Product activation isrequired for Windows server and client operating systems and allMicrosoft Office client applications.

For additional information, please review the Microsoft PartnerPrograms Guideaka.ms/partner-benefits-use-guide

Q: Can we acquire more product keys if we consumed allinstallations and activations?

A: Some product keys issued are Multiple Activation Keys (MAK). Theseproducts have a finite number of installations, activations, or seats. Aproduct key will stop working when all installations and activationshave been consumed. Additional activations for these product keys willnot be granted.

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For additional information, please visit Microsoft Partner ProgramsGuideaka.ms/partner-benefits-use-guide

Q: What if we decide not to renew our competency or Microsoft ActionPack, can we still use the on-premises software product licenses?

A: No. The on-premises software product licenses that are included withcompetency attainment and the Microsoft Action Pack are not perpetual.You are entitled, and have the right ,to use these licenses only duringyour membership. You will need to obtain license rights via CommercialLicensing or uninstall any on-premises software obtained via theMicrosoft Partner Network if you choose not to renew your competency orAction Pack.

For additional information, please visit Microsoft Partner ProgramsGuideaka.ms/partner-benefits-use-guide

Q: Does Microsoft Action Pack include Visual Studio Enterprisesubscription?

A: No, the Microsoft Action Pack includes Visual Studio Professionalsubscriptions only.

For additional information, please visit Microsoft Partner ProgramsGuideaka.ms/partner-benefits-use-guide

Q: Can we share the Visual Studio subscriptions that are included withcompetency attainment or Microsoft Action Pack?

A: No, Visual Studio subscriptions are licensed per user and must beassigned and activated to be valid. Sharing sign in credentials isprohibited.

For additional information, please visit Microsoft Partner ProgramsGuideaka.ms/partner-benefits-use-guide

Q.How do we know how many product licenses ourcompany has?

A. You can view and manage product licenses and other benefits includedwith your competency attainment or Action Pack in Partner Center. Learnmore in manage your partner networkbenefits.

Q. How can our company use the product licenses available tous through competency attainment or Action Pack?

A. We include product licenses for partners in the Microsoft PartnerNetwork who attain one or more competencies or purchase a MicrosoftAction Pack to help them build innovative solutions and become familiarwith Microsoft products and technologies. The terms of use for productlicenses included with competency attainment and Action Pack areexplained in the Microsoft Partner Network Programs Guide.

Q.Are there limitations to how ourcompany can use theproduct licenses available to us through competency attainment or ActionPack?

A. Yes, there are limitations. Product license terms ofuse are different to commercial licenses acquired through Microsoft licensingprograms. For more information, readProduct licensing terms of use.Product licenses do not include software assurance and there are somerestrictions on product licenses. You can review the terms of use forproduct licenses in the Microsoft Partner Network Programs Guide.

Q.How do we add more product licenses to what's listed in PartnerCenter so that ourcompany is covered?

A. The product licenses included with competency attainment and theAction Pack have different terms of use from commercial licensesacquired through Microsoft licensing programs. We recommend reviewingyour options for meeting your company's licensing needs on the MicrosoftLicensing.

Q. We recently merged with/acquired another company in the MicrosoftPartner Network that has a competency. Do we get to keep all our currentproduct licenses when we use the account merge capability in PartnerCenter?

A. Competency attainment and Action Pack purchase is completed inPartner Center through the Partner global account. When youuse the account merge capability in Partner Center, each account'sexisting benefits remain as is until the next renewal. Upon renewal,benefits that are included with competency attainment and Action Packare implemented for the partner company's Partner global account.

  • Microsoft Action Pack: The partner company may purchase one ActionPack per Partner global account.

  • Competency: The partner company will receive one package of corebenefits, associated to their highest attainment, pluscompetency-specific benefits the partner is eligible for at Partnerglobal account.

Review the information about account mergeto learn more about how the capability works and how to decide if it'sright for your company's needs.

Q.We have questions about ourcompany's product licenses in Partner Center. Where do we get help with that?

A. You can go to the Support section of PartnerCenter for links to resourcesthat may be of help, or to open a ticket with our partner support teamif needed.

Next steps

If you already are a member of the Microsoft Partner Network, or you are seriously considering it, then you’ll certainly love the Action Pack that Microsoft offers its smaller partners, in order for them to save a lot of money on a plethora of products and services, that they were going to buy anyways.

In this article, I will try to answer most of the frequent questions that are usually asked about the MAPS.

What Is A Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS)?

Microsoft Action Pack is an annual subscription offered by Microsoft to their entry-level partners, that allows them to get thousands of dollars’ worth of MS products and services for just $475 USD per year.

It is meant to help you jump start your business, with access to exclusive training and marketing material, in addition to all the software licenses you might need to get started.

The products included in an Action Pack subscription aren’t limited or trial versions, a MAPS includes the full editions for internal-use (ie you can’t sell them or use them for client projects, more on this later…) of very expensive products such as Visual Studio Professional edition, Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise editions, MS Office Professional licenses and Microsoft 365 seats…etc, and so much more.

Just to put things into perspective, ONE annual subscription for Visual Studio Professional alone is normally $799 USD per year, a MAPS includes 3 of them, plus a slew of other products and services at just $475 USD a year.

What Is Included In A Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS)?

Here’s the complete list of software licenses and services’ credits / seats included in a Microsoft Action Pack subscription:

  • 3 Visual Studio Professional Subscriptions (formerly known as MSDN Subscriptions)
  • 5 Microsoft 365 E3 (formerly Office 365 E3) seats
  • 5 Intune
  • 5 Enterprise Mobility Suite
  • 5 Azure AD Basic
  • 5 Microsoft Dynamics 365 – Customer Engagement
  • Microsoft Azure $100 monthly credit
  • 1 Microsoft Dynamics CRM Work-group Server 2016 license (provides access to 5 users)
  • 2 Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard (per core)
  • 1 Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Standard
  • 10 Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Standard CALs
  • 10 Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019
  • 1 Microsoft Project Professional 2019
  • 1 Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019 Enterprise
  • 10 Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019 Enterprise CALs (includes Standard CALs)
  • 1 Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019
  • 10 Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019 Standard CALs
  • 1 Microsoft Visio Professional 2019
  • 10 Windows 10 Enterprise (Current Branch or LTSC 2019)
  • 10 Windows 10 Professional (Current Branch or LTSC 2019)
  • 1 Windows Server 2019 Essentials
  • 10 Windows Server 2019 Remote Desktop Services (RDS) CALs
  • 16 Windows Server 2019 Standard
  • 10 Windows Server 2019 CALs (not edition specific)
  • 1 Windows Storage Server 2016 Work-group
  • 10 System Center 2019 Client Management Suite
  • 16 System Center 2019 Standard
  • 10 System Center Configuration Manager (current branch)
  • 10 System Center Endpoint Protection (current branch)
  • 5 Advanced Threat Analytics Client Management Licenses
  • 10 Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2015
  • 10 Windows Embedded 8 Standard
  • 10 Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Enterprise
  • 10 Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Pro
  • 10 Windows Embedded POS Ready 7
  • 1 R Server for SUSE Linux
  • 1 R Server for Teradata DB
  • 1 Machine Learning Server for Hadoop
  • 1 Machine Learning Server for Linux
  • Exclusive Marketing materials and virtual instructor-led courses to jump start your business
  • More exposure to Clients and membership to a rich community of partners

Please note that this list is intended to help partners understand the product licenses included in Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (Action Pack). The details however are subject to change, so be sure to review that information in Partner Center first.

Also, refer to the Microsoft Partner Network programs guide for important policy details regarding license use rights and limitations about each software product or online service that your organization must comply with.

What Are The Main Benefits / Pros Of A Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS)? Any Cons / Downsides?

Microsoft Action Pack subscription benefits / pros:

  • Access to very expensive products & services for just $475/year
  • Five advisory hours with a Partner Technical Consultant
  • Up to 10 product support incidents
  • Access to curated resources to take your solution from idea to market
  • The opportunity to be listed in the Microsoft partner directory
  • Access to turnkey marketing and readiness materials
  • Access to virtual instructor-led technical courses and certification

Microsoft Action Pack cons / downsides / drawbacks:

  • You’ll have to stay current: you only get access to the latest versions of the different products each year, so you’ll have to update your installations of a certain product once the included version in your MAPS changes .
  • Limited Support (only 10 incidents) and no free support-calls, you’ll have to pay for additional support when needed.
  • The Licenses obtained through MAPS are for Internal-use only, it’s something that Microsoft calls IUR only (Internal-Use Rights).

What Are Internal-Use Rights (IUR) of MPN & Action Pack ?

Microsoft Partner Network rules stipulate that all software offered as a program benefit can only be used internally. This applies to the overall MPN software license benefits (including the Action Pack licenses and Visual Studio Subscription products & services).

This internal use-only restriction essentially means that partners cannot use the software as part of work that they do for parties outside their own organization. Building an app that will be used by partner employees only is fine, but building an app that is part of a client project is not allowed.

What Is the Cost / Price Of A Microsoft Action Pack Subscription? Any Requirements Before I Get It?

The current price is fixed at $475 USD a year, but you need to visit the MPN portal to review the price in your location.

As for the MAPS requirements / prerequisites, you need to be a member of the MPN (Microsoft Partner Network) before you could buy an Action Pack subscription. The MPN membership is free, although you’ll have to fill out a lot of -digital- paperwork.

How Do I Get / Subscribe to & Use a Microsoft Action Pack Subscription?

Does Microsoft Action Pack Include Office 365

Your first first step to get it would be to get the free membership to MPN. If you’re not already a member of the Microsoft Partner Network, go to the this page on the Partner Network site and select Join now.

After you’ve successfully joined the Microsoft Partner Network (for free), you can then follow the instructions on the partner site (sign-in required) to buy your first MS Action Pack subscription (MAPS).

For more on this subject, please visit the related MS documentation page.

Do Action Pack Licenses Expire? How Should I Go About Their Renewal?

Once your Action Pack subscription expires, you must uninstall all software copies obtained through the Action Pack subscription key, and delete them from all your media & storage devices.

Even if you renew your subscription afterwards, you will still have to get the software through the new key, since the old keys are no longer valid.

More on this expiration / renewal process on Microsoft’s documentation.

How Can I Expand The Number Of Licenses / Seats Included In My MAPS?

Does Microsoft Action Pack Include Office

Once you get the Microsoft Action Pack subscription, you can expand what is included in your subscription by achieving the goals outlined in the incentives that are offered to you, based on your sales of Microsoft products, services and cloud offerings.

For example, Microsoft Action Pack partners initially receive five seats of Microsoft 365. Partners will receive five additional seats when they sell at least 25 seats of M365 within the previous 12 months.

Another example is that Partners receive five additional seats of Microsoft Dynamics 365 – Customer Engagement when they sell at least 50 seats of Microsoft 365 or five seats of Microsoft Dynamics 365 within the previous 12 months.

Note that the examples mentioned above are based on incentives offered to Action Pack subscribers in the US in 2019, please check your incentives in your partner center to know accurately what goals to achieve.

How is Action Pack different from MSDN (Now Visual Studio Subscription) & The MPN Gold / Silver Competencies ?

Action Pack differs from the regular Microsoft Partner Network and the Silver / Gold competencies in that you can sign up for an MPN membership for free, with no special requirements, then the competencies have to be “earned” – before you can pay for them – by ensuring that your organization fulfills their requirements.

An Action Pack Subscription however doesn’t need to be earned, you just get a free MPN membership then you buy the action pack subscription whenever you like.

As for MSDN (Now Visual Studio Subscriptions), Action Pack includes 3 professional custom ones modified specifically for MAPS users. The Visual Studio Professional (MPN) subscription does not include Azure DevOps Services benefits, Azure DevTest individual credit, technical support & the training that are available with Visual Studio subscriptions that are offered commercially.

Also, MSDN (Visual Studio Subscription) licenses are for development, test and demo purposes only, you cannot run them on a production environment, not even an internal one.

(*) Additional taxes and fees may apply.

Well, that is it for this article, for more information on MPN offers and programs, you can check my articles on Microsoft Silver Partners, as well as Microsoft Gold Partners. Have a nice day / evening !