OEM: Original Equipment
Manufacturer is a license good for an Original computer from a manufacturer
like Dell or HP and even custom built computers. The license is only good on
the computer it is first installed on, for the life of that computer.
Since Windows Vista and including
Windows 7, EULA of OEM license can only be installed on one computer, and is
forever locked and bounded to the computer (motherboard) of which it’s
installed. In Windows XP, OEM license can be installed on one computer at a
time. OEM license is always the least expensive edition, but is available to
OEMs only.
OEM license also has another
variant called System Builder OEM license, which is also an OEM
license with lesser discount, has all the same restrictions and limitations of
OEM license. But System Builder OEM license may be available to general
customer who purchased a new PC (or hardware) from a small system builder via
retail store.
Hardware vendors perform OEM
activation by associating the operating system to the firmware (basic
input/output system, or BIOS) of the computer prior to shipping new PC to
customer. So no additional actions are required by the user to activate
Windows, except when user choose to activate Windows with COA (Certificate of
Authenticity) product key, which normally pasted on the casing of the hardware,
in the case of not installing Windows with OEM provided image.
Support for Windows with OEM
license is provided by OEM or system builder, which is usually non-existent.
So, end-users are virtually had to support their own.
- Cannot upgrade over an existing Windows installation.
- Must be installed "clean" on a freshly reformatted drive or partition.
- Cannot be transferred to a different computer in the future.
- The license cannot be sold or transferred to another user.
- Are not eligible for free Microsoft technical support.
- Any problems whatsoever with the installation CD or Product Key.
- Is not eligible for Microsoft support....you have to deal with the "seller".
- Cost less than "retail versions" due to the above limitations/risks.
OLP: Open License Program is a
structure where you lease a license for 2 years, usually for Small to Medium
sized businesses.
NL: No Level (Levels give you a
discount on how many licenses you purchase at once) No Level - for 1 to 49
users
Level C - for 50+ users)
Full License – Also known as
Full Packaged Product (FPP). The full version of Windows has no limitation on
how customers can install and use the OS, as long as each PC has its own
legitimate license. Full retail can perform either clean (custom) or upgrade
install, and can be transferred to upgraded or entirely new systems as long as
only one copy is installed at a time. Full license is always the most expensive
edition, and is normally purchased for computer that does not sold with Windows
operating system originally.
Volume Licensing: Volume licenses
is a software license programs (depending on the Volume Licensing program,
subscriber may receive media, or has the option to acquire media or
supplemental media, documentation, and product support separately as needed)
that are sold in bulk to corporate customers, in quantities of five or more at
a time. There are actually many options and choices available for volume
licensing, such as Open Value, Open Value Subscription, Open License, Select
Plus, Select License, Enterprise Agreement, and Enterprise Subscription
Agreement. Some editions of Windows, such as Windows 7 Enterprise, are
available only through the Volume Licensing channel.
Again, depending on Volume
Licensing programs or related entitlement customizations, Volume License may
cover only upgrades to Windows client operating systems, and thus require
qualifying OS licensing for each computer before upgrade rights obtained
through Volume Licensing can be exercised on these computers.
Windows with volume license can
be activated through Volume Activation models, which is through Key Management
Service (KMS), a locally hosted activation services preactivated with Microsoft
activation service normally used in large corporations with minimum activation
threshold of 5 servers or 25 client computers (physical or virtual machines),
and Multiple Activation Key (MAK), which similar to retail product key and used
for one-time activation with Microsoft’s hosted activation services,
independently or through MAK proxy
Upgrade License – available
at cheaper discounted price (for example see Windows7 prices orWindowsVista prices), upgrade license is targeted at end-users who already has a
genuine license of previous version of Windows operating system, and wish to
move to newer operating system. For example, upgrade from Windows Vista to
Windows 7. Upgrade retail license can only be installed on a system that
already has an OEM or full license.
Retail version of Windows license
includes full support from Microsoft, and each purchased copy comes with one
unique product key (printed on the product packaging), which the user enters
during the product installation to complete the activation online or via phone
