Choosing Office 2013 volume licensing plan ... or going retail ... or subscription ... or hunting for 2010 ... what a headache ...

Our company currently runs an office software equivalent comparable to Office 2003 level. I was researching options (licensing!) for stepping up our office to real Microsoft Office product ... and got stuck with that idea ... totally confused at this point.
Am I missing something or the cheapest SMB volume licensing option for MS Office 2013 (Standard, no Access component) is like twice as expensive as the retail equivalent? Why is that so? It makes no sense to me at all.
I can find retail box of Office 2013 Home and Business for around $190 while the cheapest Open License for similar equivalent seems to be priced at $369 (what!?) ... and that is even without Software Assurance?
Makes it kinda hard to convince management about benefits of VL program over retail ... especially since we are not a Volume Licensed customer (yet) and this purchase *might* make it worth becoming one (does it?).
On top of that I can't even make decision if we should really go with Office 2013 after reading about live/online account requirement for activation, and here a question how does it work in volume licensing version? I assume it will be a great pain with
installs from retail media and activation, but VL should have some tools or workarounds for that, no? I read that Office 2010 didn't have such problems and am sad I didn't push towards it when it was still available on retail market.
Maybe we should go with 2013 subscription for first year and see how that works for us ...
One thing for sure, I've been digging around this subject for weeks and my headache doesn't want to go away.
Open to suggestions.

anybody, any insights?
Pls, also note that I run a one person IT department for this company, so all the dirty work (installs) will be done by me, hence my question. I can do deployments via GPO, but would like to know about activation gotchas (MS live accounts) for Office 2013,
is that true for retail licenses?
As per Volume Licensing, am I looking right and cheapest 1 computer Office 2013 open license stands for like $369? why is i so expensive in volume licensing plans? I doubt our management approves it this way ... which probably means retail licensing for
me and a great headache with activations over a sneaker net ... times 30 ...

Similar Messages

Office 2013 Volume License Activation question

Hello,
we have software assurance, so MAK and KMS are available for O2013.
I cannot use KMS server (there are reasons for now). So I have to use MAK. I know that it is possible later on to convert MAK to KMS.
I found topic about ADBA. But missing few points from the description after my 2 questions.
1. Can I use KMS key for use with Volume Activation Tool without actually having KMS installed?
2. at the end it says just 180 days activation. What will happen then?
From:
http://searchenterprisedesktop.techtarget.com/tip/Using-Active-Directory-activation-and-other-new-Office-2013-tools
-------Prior to Office 2013, IT had to rely on Multiple Activation Key (MAK) or Key Management Service (KMS) activation. These processes were generally more complex than ADBA. Little has changed with either MAK or KMS in Office 2013. With ADBA, however,
IT can easily
activate Office 2013 clients through their connections to the domain.
To implement ADBA, administrators must use the Volume Activation Tools utility, which walks them through the setup process. After admins supply the KMS host key, the setup process adds an activation object to the
Active Directory Domain Services. The activation object uses the same Generic Volume Licenses Key (GVLK) and KMS host pair as that for regular KMS activation. When the client joins the domain, the activation object automatically activates the Office installation,
granting a license to the client for 180 days. --------------
--- When you hit a wrong note its the next note that makes it good or bad. --- Miles Davis

Hello,
we have software assurance, so MAK and KMS are available for O2013.
I cannot use KMS server (there are reasons for now). So I have to use MAK. I know that it is possible later on to convert MAK to KMS.
I found topic about ADBA. But missing few points from the description after my 2 questions.
1. Can I use KMS key for use with Volume Activation Tool without actually having KMS installed?
2. at the end it says just 180 days activation. What will happen then?
From:
http://searchenterprisedesktop.techtarget.com/tip/Using-Active-Directory-activation-and-other-new-Office-2013-tools
-------Prior to Office 2013, IT had to rely on Multiple Activation Key (MAK) or Key Management Service (KMS) activation. These processes were generally more complex than ADBA. Little has changed with either MAK or KMS in Office 2013. With ADBA, however,
IT can easily
activate Office 2013 clients through their connections to the domain.
To implement ADBA, administrators must use the Volume Activation Tools utility, which walks them through the setup process. After admins supply the KMS host key, the setup process adds an activation object to the
Active Directory Domain Services. The activation object uses the same Generic Volume Licenses Key (GVLK) and KMS host pair as that for regular KMS activation. When the client joins the domain, the activation object automatically activates the Office installation,
granting a license to the client for 180 days. --------------
--- When you hit a wrong note its the next note that makes it good or bad. --- Miles Davis
Q1) there is a KMShost product key, and there is a KMSclient product key.
The KMShost product key, you install this in your KMShost machine, and the client machines which have the KMSclient product key will contact your KMShost machine for activation.
Volume Licensed products are provided by MSFT with the KMSclient product key already installed. The KMSclient product keys are also publically available in the TechNet library documentation.
VAMT can be used, with or without KMS installed. VAMT is not part of KMS, and, KMS is not part of VAMT.
ADBA is not part of VAMT and VAMT is not part of ADBA.
ADBA can only be used if your AD is at the later version, and, ADBA only works for the latest products like Windows8 and Office2013.
If you have older AD or older products you will still need to have KMS or MAK.
Q2) after 180days, it's the same as KMS - the KMSclient (or ADBA client) will enter "non-genuine" mode if the client has not contacted ADBA object (or KMShost) to renew the activation status.
This wiki article I put together, includes a few helpful links about ADBA and KMS:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/22510.volume-activation-kms-mak-adba-avma.aspx
Don
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Configuring RDS to specific NIC Adapter + Avoid Office 2013 Volume Licensing

Background: Small Company basically 1 User (me)... I've recently purchased a new server class computer and have downloaded and installed Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials. I have 2 routers, 1 for home use (192.168..) and other provided to me by the
company I contract to (10.41..). I have a 4 port independent NIC card. I connect to a company configured VM through a Remote Desktop Connection. I also need to run Lync 2013 on the Windows Server 2012 machine in order to communicate internally
with other members of the company.
My Understanding: In order to configure the remote desktop connection to my VM to use a specific NIC adapter I must first install the Remote desktop Session Host service. Then I should be able to configure the RDP-TCP connection to use a specific NIC
adapter. However, when I install the Remote desktop Session Host Service and I try and run Lync 2013 I receive an message stating that because I'm running Remote Desktop Services on this server I need to purchase volume licensing for my Office 2013 product.
Question: Is there a way for me to configure my Windows Server 2012 R2 environment so that I can first specify a specific NIC adapter to use during my RDP session into my VM and also allow me not to have to purchase volume licensing for the Office 2013 product.
-=Duane=-

Hi Duane,
As per my research, if you have RDS license and CAL installed still you need to purchase Office licensing to use office product. Office Professional Plus 2013 and Office Standard 2013 are licensed on a per-device basis. Users can only remotely access a copy
of Office Professional Plus 2013 or Office Standard 2013 running on a network server from a licensed device. Therefore, your windows need the latest Office suite license assigned to the device.
For more information.
1. Licensing Office on Remote Desktop Services
2. Microsoft Office
For Network Adapter, you can try PowerShell Command and rename your NIC specific to RDS so that you can identify that specific NIC is used by RDS for connection. For that you can do following things.
List of Network Adapter: Get-NetAdapter
Rename Network Adapter: Rename-NetAdapter -Name "Wired Ethernet Connection 4" PublicInternet1
Please find below snap and link for more information.
1. Using PowerShell for NIC Configuration Tasks
2. Use PowerShell to Configure the NIC on Windows Server 2012
Hope it helps!
Thanks.

Office 2013 Volume licensing Activation using VAMT

Can we activate office 2013 pro plus volume license edition using VAMT 2.0

I found a confirmation on this link:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/office_resource_kit/archive/2013/01/30/volume-activation-of-office-2013-frequently-asked-questions.aspx
Why would I want to use Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) 3.0 rather than VAMT 2.0?
In addition to KMS and MAK activation, which VAMT 2.0 supports, VAMT 3.0 supports Active Directory-Based activation. For general information about VAMT, see
Manage Activations Using the VAMT. For more information about VAMT 3.0, see
Introduction to VAMT 3.0.
The quoted article doesn't confirm the question asked.
The quickest way to confirm if VAMT2 is suitable for Office2013 is to test it.
Even if it *does* work, it may not be "supported" by MSFT.
I've asked a MSFT contact this question, it may take a few days to get an answer. (and, the answer might be "it's not supported"..)
Don
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Can I create a 2012 home license with a 2013 volume license server?

I am having trouble getting a new installation of LV2012 SP1 to see the home license. I have to change computers at home so I am trying to move my install from one computer to the other. While I have given my IT person the new computer name and ID and they have generated the necessary file, Labview does not see the LV2012 SP1 installation I have. It is still in "evaluation mode". While my IT has upgraded the volume license server to 2013, all of my teams have not yet moved to 2013. So can I (or my IT) create a 2012 SP1 home license with a 2013 volume license server? Or is the problem with my new computer?

The license should be good for any version older than the current SSP is under. So somebody with a license for LabVIEW 2013 can activate LabVIEW 2012 as well. It is sounding like something is wrong with your new setup.
There are only two ways to tell somebody thanks: Kudos and Marked Solutions
Unofficial Forum Rules and Guidelines

Sccm check office 2013 users license status

Hi I tried to use sccm2012 to check the license report for office 2013 users, but there are nothing for office 2013. there are for office 2010,win7,etc. I run query and confirmed some pc have office 2013 installed. any advice how to get the report for
licensed products work?thanks
Thanks and best regards, -- KF

Here's a simple query which target the "Program and Features" (Add/Remove Program) of your computers.
Do you get any results ?
select B.Name0, B.AD_Site_Name0,B.Operating_System_Name_and0, A.DisplayName0
from v_Add_Remove_Programs A inner join v_r_system B on B.ResourceID=a.ResourceID
where DisplayName0 like '%Microsoft Office 2013%'
Benoit Lecours | Blog: System Center Dudes

Office 2013 Home and Business Medialess/PKC Retail: Is an Invoice and Photocopy of the original physical product key card enough as a proof of ownership?

With Office 2013 Home and Business Medialess bought through a retail channel (I believe formerly called Product Key Card) boxes, if you have an invoice and photocopy of the product key card. Is this enough for Proof of Ownership?
We've lost one of the physical product key cards but have a photocopy of it and this purchase is clearly shown on the original invoice.
Thank you

Hi,
Contact Microsoft Customer Service to get help on this:
·In the US, please call (866) 452-4755
·Outside of the US, please visit
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/customer-service-phone-numbers/en-us to find your local customer support number.
Regards,
Melon Chen
TechNet Community Support

Ned to back up files. Trying to reformat a WD 1TB external hard drive but my utilities keeps saying "choose scheme from volume pop up menu.." also says cannot be modified. What can I do?!

Help would be appreciated! Before I upgrade my 10.6.8 OS X I need to back up files. Trying to reformat a WD 1TB external hard drive but my utilities keeps saying "choose scheme from volume pop up menu.." also says "this partition cannot be modified." What can I do?! Take it back to Currys! Many thanks

Select the Top Most Entry for that drive, it will be the drive model # and have the size listed, then go to the Partition tab and select One Partition from the Partition Layout area drop down. Then select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the format, if that is the format you want to format it AS. Then click the Options button near the bottom of that windows and select GUID as the Partition Table. Close the options screen and clcik the Apply button.

I have to transfer volume licensing CS6 design and web premium, but I don't know what is the right module. I've found many, all different...thanks

I have to transfer volume licensing CS6 design and web premium (between 2 End Users) but I don't know what is the right module. I found some, in Adobe's website, but all different...
One module for transferor
One module for recipient
One module for both parts
I filled the forms, I signed them , I called the assistance for case number and they've sent me another module:
one module for both of parts, without field for to insert serial number...
What have I do? Which module must I use? I'm becoming histeric!
Thanks to all for help
Letizia

Volume Licensing
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/volume-licensing-site.html

Upgrade Gurus- CS 5 volume license, CS 5.5 retail upgrade can't install, upgrading to CS 6?

Hi,
I have run into a very interesting problem at work and need confirmation about some information I received. We have six computers with various versions of Creative Suite 5 (Design Standard, Master Collection, etc.) installed on these computers. These are all volume licensed projects. A few years ago we puchased Creative Suite 5.5 upgrades. These upgrades are retail licenses. We have recently purchased new computers and tried to install Creative Suite 5.5 on them. However, Adobe is telling us that because Creative Suite 5 was a volume license and the Creative Suite 5.5 upgrade was a retail license, we could only perform this upgrade once. This means only our old computers can have CS 5.5 installed and our new computers are stuck with CS 5. Which is just wrong. However, we are sick of wasting time with Adobe and are willing to upgrade our new computers to CS 6 (and get rid of the old computers). So here is the question- can we purchase CS 5.5 to CS 6 upgrades (retail license of course) and just use the CS 5.5 serial numbers when we upgrade our CS 5 computers to CS 6?
Cliff Notes: Do I need CS 5.5 installed in order to use a CS 5.5 to CS 6 upgrade or do I just need the CS 5.5 serial numbers?

I have the same issue. Cleaner tool does not hetl, at least in my case. Do you mean that the whole CS5.5 Master Collection should be uninstalled? I have tried everything else:
I tried to uninstall, but Flash Builder was not listed among the programs, maybe I have uninstalled it earlier or it is inclkuded in CS5.5
I deleted all Flash Builder related files, no help
Then I deleted all Flash Builder related registry entries, no success
Finally I downloaded the cleaner tool, its action options do not include anything Flash Builder Releted.
I simply can't get rid of the conflicting version

How do I activate Office 2013 that I have deployed using ODT and App-V onto a Remote Desktop Server?

I am setting up a demo Server 2012 R2 environment (1 DC server, 2 RDSH servers, 1 App-V server).
I have created an Office 2013 volume license App-V package using the latest Office Deployment Toolkit. I have deployed the App-V package to an RDS server and it all works fine. However, I am unable to activate Office 2013 using the MSDN Office 2013 retail
key because it tells me the product key is invalid for this version of Office. I've looked at the alternative of using the App-V Sequencer to create the Office 2013 package, but from what I've read this is not a Microsoft supported method.
Is there any way that I can activate Office 2013 (volume license on RDS) using the method I've outlined above, or is there any way of using the Office2013 download from MSDN such that it can be packaged by the ODT (or App-V Sequencer) for successful deployment
using App-V and activation using the retail Office 2013 product key on MSDN?

True, VL channel media can't be activated with MSDN Retail pkeys (that's what I was trying to get you to understand, I figured you would be attempting that, as so many people do :(
I've not attempted your scenario myself.
It sounds like you aren't following the supported scenarios as (poorly) described by MS;
The way I read their guide, for an RDS scenario, you must use a VL key [either MAK or KMS] (since a subscription product+key can't be used on RDS):
i.e.: <Product ID="ProPlusVolume">
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2772509
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2915745
http://technet.microsoft.com/library/dn481351.aspxhttp://blogs.technet.com/b/office_resource_kit/archive/2013/12/02/announcing-app-v-5-0-sp2-support-for-office-2013-volume-licensing-editions.aspx
So, that all means that for RDS, you can't use anything other than VL "product" (in
the form of an ODT-generated output) with a VL pkey. So, for your RDS demo setup, you need to use real product and real pkeys.
Don
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This helps the community, keeps the forums tidy, and recognises useful contributions. Thanks!)

Office 2013/ 365 on 2012R2 server

Hi,
I'm looking at installing Office 2013 (Volume License version) on a couple of 2012R2 RDS boxes. I'm using the Office Deployment Toolkit.
Can someone please advise if in the Outlook Profile section, we have to enter the Office 365 server name? If so, what is it? We entered the one obtained from a desktop install of Office 365 but that didn't work.
Additionally, has anyone seen any issues with running this in cached mode (given that the office 365 server is in the cloud)? I'd like to store the outlook profile in a centralized location so as to reduce the footprint on the RDS boxes and to avoid having
to download email when logging in from different RDS servers.
Thanks very much,
HA

Hi HA,
Are you referring to Office Customization Tool here? I don't see any "Outlook profile section" in Office Deployment Tool.
As far as I know, you don't have to configure this while deploying Office 2013 in a Remote Desktop Service environment. Outlook profile will be created when the user access Outlook through a remote desktop to use their mail account.
Cached Exchange Mode is supported in a RDS environment. However, in this mode, Outlook stores a local copy of each Exchange mailbox and address book on disk for each client access, which will cost additional storage space and disk I/O for multiple client
access.
So, unless you are connecting over a high latency connection to an Exchange server that is located remotely, for better scalability, we recommend that you use Online Mode with RDS for large deployments. With Online Mode, no data is stored locally.
Regards,
Ethan Hua
Forum Support
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Reduced Functionality Mode - Office 2013

Is it possible to force Office 2013 (volume license) into a Reduced Functionality Mode straight away without having to wait out the 30-day trial?
I have a fairly niche application with regular imaging and I'd like my default images to have read-only Office installed. Hardware that needs editing can then have a product key entered to activate and unlock.
Thanks

Hi,
As far as I know, currently we can't bypass the grace period of the 30-day trial, since the license information is read-only to users.
You may detail your scenario with more information, so that we can possibly provide some other suggestions.
Regards,
Melon Chen
TechNet Community Support

Office 2013 - Evaluation of VL bits?

Hi there,
I have a customer asking if there is a way to install a trial version of Office 2013 [Volume License edition] for testing to see if it is a suitable solution for their environment. I've done some digging and haven't found a way to do this, so I was hoping
someone can either confirm that there isn't a MSFT supported way to download a VL eval, or if there is a workaround that would let them test that in their scenario.
Thanks!

Hi,
We don't provide such a trial version for Volume License edition currently. However, you can still learn some useful information from the links below:
About Licensing Microsoft Office
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/office.aspx#tab=1
Compare suites available through volume licensing
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/business/microsoft-office-volume-licensing-suites-comparison-FX101825637.aspx
For more information about Volume Licensing, you can contact Microsoft Volume Licensing Activation Centers:
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/existing-customers/activation-centers.aspx
Regards,
Melon Chen
TechNet Community Support

Installing Office 2013 on several PCs in a small company

Rather than create individual Live IDs for each of the 7 PCs in a small company, in order to install Office 2013, can we install 7 copies of Office 2013 using a single Live ID? (each copy of Office 2013 is licenced individually, not bought through
VLSC).
Or, is there a better way to install several copies of Office 2013 in an organisation (that does not want to buy Volume Licencing, they just want to buy individual copies)?

Are you talking about the local install version Office 2013, or Office 365 (2013)?
Office 365 is "easier" if you are dealing with volume licenses. Office 365 "installs" very quickly, in a matter of minutes. So if you are talking about buying individual 365 business licensees, just document a short procedure telling users how to install
Office 365 (sorry, that may not work if they don't have admin rights on the PC).
If you bought Office 365 volume license, here is a procedure I pieced together:
How does a company install and control licenses - Business
Using Click to Run virtualization, the process of getting new users running has substantially changed. Because CTR installations are so fast, you no longer have to pre-install the software for users.
A business IT Admin controls use of corporate Office 365 licenses through the Office 365 Administration Center online.
Overview:
- In the Office 365 Administration Center the designated Office Administrator sets up the new USER ID
- Setup the associated email account(s)
- Setup Office licenses allowed to the userid
- the new User logs in to their new computer
- in Internet Explorer the user goes to the “Office 365 Portal” site to get their allowed Office 365 installation
- using the Click to Run installation process, Office 365 is installed and running on a new computer is a matter of minutes.
The following links will provide you with more detailed information of where to look and what to do. You may require some additional support from an “expert” .
Free MS training for Office 365 Administration Center / Portal
http://office365support.ca/does-microsoft-have-free-training-for-the-new-office-365/
Excellent resource to get you started administering your business Office 365 licenses.
The first video,
Exploring the Office 365 Administration Center (9:32), describes
how to create new userids, and to assign Office licenses to them. It also very quickly breezes by how to install Office.
The second vidow,
Office 365 Overview for IT Administrators (14:00), quickly walks you
through setting up new company and users.
On basic setup page, step 3 “Set up User Access” provides links to instructions on how to set up new users.
In Service Settings, Downloads, you can control what Office apps the user can download.
Creating Users for the NEW Office 365
http://office365support.ca/creating-cloud-users-for-the-new-office-365/
This page provides more detailed instructions for setting up the new userids and granting them Office 365 licenses
Configuring Desktops for the NEW Office 365
http://office365support.ca/configuring-desktops-for-the-new-office-365/
The following post will document how to setup a Windows 8 desktop for a cloud user for Office 365. I have already installed Windows 8 and created
the local account for my test user. I have logged into the Office 365 portal and had the user change his password. The password for Office 365 and the password for the desktop are the same.
Office 365 for enterprises: A tour for administrators
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/videos/office-365-for-enterprises-a-tour-for-administrators-HA102654955.aspx
Office 365 for enterprises brings together the online services your business needs. To see how to set up and manage these services, watch these four short videos.
Where did My MSI go - Deployment Video
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/technet/en-us/office/media/video/video.html?cid=otc&from=mscomoffice&VideoID=670e3969-0509-4d3a-a8a6-ffbe526d3e6f&src=v5:endslate:related^play:related_0&from=shareembed-syndication
10 minute comparison of MSI and CTR
Touches on corporate provisioning in”User Based License Model Activation”. Users activate/deactivate, but IT still has control to deprovision the license (starting at about minute 8:15).
Then in this video / article :
http://blogs.technet.com/b/office_resource_kit/archive/2013/03/20/the-new-office-garage-series-identity-activation-data-access.aspx
They again say the companies can still allow userid activation while maintaining control of the licenses through Active Directory
<snip>
Jeremy: So we showed the installation experience for a domain-joined computer where single sign on is enabled and one that is not domain-joined, but installs via the Office 365 portal. In the direct from portal case when you kick off the
installation, you will see a file that looks something like this:
Setup.X86.en-us_O365ProPlusRetail_24*****-45a2-4eeb-b06f-b14****189c8_TX_PR_.exe
In a future episode we'll talk about all of the configurations needed to suppress completely sign-in, first run experiences and user prompts. IT admins have had to deal with these in past releases of Office, but now there are ways to
automatically sign users in to Office 365 installs picking up their domain credentials. I also showed the effects of deleting the user account from the Azure AD store and how it put Yoni's Office into Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM) -
even if Yoni installs Office on his personal devices using his organization's Office software assets, once Yoni leaves the org the IT department can deprovision his personal installs. That keeps software asset management cleaner and IT is in control.
Yoni: Don't forget we also had Mark Russinovich on the show and he explained the security model for online services with Azure AD - in your car. It sounds like they are taking the defense in depth approach to harden the service. And you
made him slum it in your car, Jeremy.
</snip>
Overview of ID, Authentication and Authorization in Office 2013
<snip http://blogs.technet.com/b/office_resource_kit/archive/2013/04/16/new-poster-and-content-roadmaps-about-office-identity-authentication-authorization-and-security.aspx
>
This page has links to 3 posters. The first poster “Identity and Authentication in the Cloud: Office 2013 and Office 365” describes at a high level how to control new user setup in a corporate / small business environment.
</snip>
<snip http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj683102.aspx
>
This page also has a link to the same poster online (http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=38193 has PDF and Visio versions of the chart). As well, it goes into
more detail with information like the following:
… Because Office is a tool that is used by the same individual in two different roles, the new Office offers two identities with which users can log on to Office 2013:
A Microsoft account, which most people use for personal business
An organization ID that is assigned by Microsoft, which most people use when doing work for an organization, such as a business, charity, or school.
The credentials that are used to sign in are recognized as either personal or organizational. That sign-in identity becomes the user's “home realm” and determines which documents the user has access to on SharePoint, SkyDrive, or Office 365 Services for
a specific session. Each unique sign in identity is saved in a most-recently used list so that it is easy to switch between identities without leaving the Office experience.
a personal SkyDrive can be mounted to an organization identity so that personal documents can be accessed at work or school without ever switching identities. Also, when a user authenticates by using an identity, this authentication is valid for all Office
applications, not just the application he or she signed in to.
Two logon types are supported when users sign in to Office 2013, a Microsoft account or an organization ID that is assigned by Microsoft.
Microsoft account (the user’s individual account). This account, formerly known as Windows Live ID, is the credential that users use to authenticate with the Microsoft network and is frequently used for personal or non-business work, such
as volunteer work. To create a Microsoft account, a user provides a user name and password, certain demographic information, and “account proofs,” such as an alternative email address or phone number. For more information about the new Microsoft account, see
What is a Microsoft account?.
An organization ID that is assigned by Microsoft / Office 365 account ID that is assigned by Microsoft. This account is created for business use. An Office 365 account can be one of three types: a pure Office 365 ID, an Active Directory
ID, or an Active Directory Federation Services ID. These are described below:
Office 365 ID. This ID is created when an admin sets up an Office 365 domain and takes the form <user>@<org>.onmicrosoft.com, for example:
[email protected]
Organization ID that is assigned by Microsoft that is validated against a user's Active Directory ID. An organization ID that is assigned by Microsoft and validated against Active Directory as follows:
First, a person who has an [on-premise domain]\<user> account attempts to access organization resources.
Next, the resource requests authentication from the user.
Then, the user types in their organization user name and password.
Finally, that user name and password are validated against the organization AD database, the user is authenticated, and is given access to the requested resource.
An organization ID that is assigned by Microsoft that is validated against a user’s Active Directory Federation Services ID. An organization ID that is assigned by Microsoft and validated against Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS)
as follows:
First, one person who has an org.onmicrosoft.com attempts to access
partner organization resources.
Then, the resource requests authentication from the user.
Next, the user types in their organization user name and password.
Then, that user name and password are validated against the organization AD database.
Finally, that same user name and password are passed to the partner’s federated AD database, the user is authenticated, and is given access to the requested resource.
For on-premises resources, Office 2013 uses the domain\alias user name for authentication. For federated resources, Office 2013 uses the [email protected] user name for authentication.
</snip>
Office 365 Administration / Office 365 Administration Center / Office 365 Portal
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj819272.aspx
This page summarized methods of administering Office 365
User Account Management
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj819300.aspx
Sign-in for Small Business subscriptions
Users receive Windows Azure Active Directory cloud credentials—separate from other desktop or corporate credentials—for signing into Office 365 and other Microsoft cloud services.
Sign-in options for Enterprise, Midsize Business, Kiosk, Academic, and Government subscriptions
Office 365 for Enterprise, Midsize Business, Kiosk, Academic, and Government subscriptions has two systems that can be used for user identities:
Organizational account (cloud identity) Users receive Windows Azure Active Directory cloud credentials—separate from other desktop or corporate credentials—for signing into Office 365 and other Microsoft cloud
services. This is the default identity, and is recommended for small and midsize businesses in order to minimize deployment complexity. Passwords for organizational accounts use the Windows Azure Active Directory
password policy.
Federated account (federated identity) For all subscriptions other than Office 365 Small Business and Office 365 Small Business Premium, in organizations with on-premises Active Directory that use single sign-on
(SSO), users can sign into Office 365 services by using their Active Directory credentials. The corporate Active Directory stores and controls the password policy. For information about SSO, see
Single sign-on roadmap.
The type of identity affects the user experience and user account management options, as well as hardware and software requirements and other deployment considerations.
Custom domains and identity options
When you create a new user, the user’s sign-in name and email address are assigned to the default domain as set in the Office 365 admin center. By default, the Office 365 subscription uses the <company name>.onmicrosoft.com
domain that was created with the Office 365 account. You can add one or more custom domains to Office 365 rather than retaining the
onmicrosoft.com domain, and can assign users to sign in with any of the validated domains. Each user’s assigned domain is the email address that will appear on sent and received email messages.
You can host up to 600 registered Internet domains in Office 365, each represented by a different namespace.
For organizations using single sign-on, all users on a domain must use the same identity system: either cloud identity or federated identity. For example, you could have one group of users that only needs a cloud identity because they don’t access on-premises
systems, and another group of users who use Office 365 and on-premises systems. You would use add two domains to Office 365, such as
contractors.contoso.com and
staff.contoso.com, and only set up SSO for one of them. An entire domain can be converted from cloud identity to federated identity, or from federated identity to cloud identity.
For more information about domains in Office 365, see the
Domains service description.
Creating user accounts
Office 365 provides five ways to create user accounts, some of which are not available for Office 365 Small Business and Office 365 Small Business Premium: Add single User, Bulk upload using *.CSV files, Active Directory Synchronization, Azure Active Directory
Module for powershell, Exchange Simple Migration
Password management
The policies and procedures for password management depend on the identity system.
Cloud identity password management:
When using cloud identities, passwords are automatically generated when the account is created.
For cloud identity password strength requirements, see
Change your password.
To increase security, users must change their passwords when they first access Office 365 services. As a result, before users can access Office 365 services, they must sign into the Office 365 portal, where they are prompted to change their passwords.
Admins can set the password expiration policy. For more information for Enterprise and Midsize subscriptions, see
Set a user’s password expiration policy. For Small Business, see
Change how often passwords expire.
License management
A subscription to Office 365 is made up of a number of licenses to a set of services. An administrator assigns a license to each user for each service that user needs access to. For more information about managing licenses, see
Assign or remove a license in Office 365 Enterprise, or
Assign or remove a license in Office 365 Small Business.
Office 365 for Business FAQ
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/business/microsoft-office-365-for-business-faq-FX103030232.aspx
Some general questions are answered
Deployment guide for Microsoft Office 2013
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/mssmallbiz/archive/2012/10/22/free-microsoft-ebook-deployment-guide-for-microsoft-office-2013.aspx
Free Download, 147 pg
Table of Contents
Getting help
Volume activation of Office 2013
Plan volume activation of Office 2013
Volume activation methods in Office 2013
Deploy volume activation of Office 2013
Use tools to configure client computers in Office 2013
Customize installations of Office 2013
Customize Setup before installing Office 2013
Configure a silent installation of Office 2013
Create custom configurations of Office 2013
Office Customization Tool (OCT) in Office 2013
Config.xml file in Office 2013
Setup command-line options for Office 2013
Setup properties in Office 2013
Setup architecture overview for Office 2013
Customize the Accessibility Checker for Office 2013
Outlook 2013
Planning overview for Outlook 2013
Choose between Cached Exchange Mode and Online Mode for Outlook 2013
Plan a Cached Exchange Mode deployment in Outlook 2013
Plan feature customizations in Outlook 2013
Choose security and protection settings for Outlook 2013
Configure multiple Exchange accounts for Outlook 2013
Configure Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook 2013
Configure Outlook Anywhere in Outlook 2013
Configure junk e-mail settings in Outlook 2013
Roll out Office 2013
Install Office 2013 from the local installation source
Deploy Office 2013 from a network installation point
Deploy Office 2013 by using Group Policy computer startup scripts
Language in Office 2013
Plan for multi-language deployment of Office 2013
Customize language setup and settings for Office 2013
Add or remove language packs after deployment of Office 2013
Mixed language versions of Office 2013
Companion proofing languages for Office 2013
Language identifiers and OptionState Id values in Office 2013
Security in Office 2013
Security overview for Office 2013
Authentication in Office 2013
Plan for Information Rights Management in Office 2013
Group Policy for Office 2013
Planning for Group Policy in Office 2013

Choosing Office 2013 volume licensing plan ... or going retail ... or subscription ... or hunting for 2010 ... what a headache ...

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