Q: (from Jeff)

I’ve got a customer who will be typically using Office from their Terminal Services (RDS) farm. But if there are connectivity problems, they want the option of running Office locally. Do they need to license Office with Software Assurance.

A:

I knew I wanted to do some research on this. The number of licenses required will be determined by the computers accessing Office:

  • If the computers accessing Office on the RDS server are owned by the company, you only need to get a license through volume licensing for Office for each desktop whether Office is run on the local desktop or from the RDS server.
    For example, you will need 10 Office licenses for an organization with 10 company owned computers accessing 10 RDS sessions.
  • If the computers accessing Office on the RDS server are owned by the employees, you will need to get a license of Office for each desktop and a license through volume licensing for each RDS session.
    For example, you will need 20 Office licenses for an organization with 10 RDS sessions and 10 employees accessing Office from their home computers
  • There is a new Software Assurance benefit that permits computers to access Office on the RDS server whether they are owned by the company or by the employees, you will need to get a license through volume licensing with Software Assurance.
    For example, you will need 10 Office licenses with SA for an organization with 10 computers (home or business) access 10 RDS sessions.

Here are my reference links:

  • Office on an RDS server:
    https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/office2010.aspx#tab=1
    Select New Customer / Licensing and Use Rights / I would like to use Office via Windows Server Remote Desktop Services
    “There are three key licensing considerations when Office 2010 is accessed via Remote Desktop Services: 1 – Must be Volume Licensing: Remote Desktop Services deployments of Microsoft Office require Volume License copies (media, keys, and licenses). This applies both to the copy physically installed on the server as well as the license applied to client machines. 2 – Server installation does not require a license. A licensed client device allows additional copies to be installed on a network device. These copies may be accessed from a separately licensed device, as per blow. 3 – This supports only remote access to the copy installed on the server. Client devices must each be licensed for Office 2010: Each client machine that access the RDS install on a server must have an Office license. They many not access editions or software they are not licensed for.”
  • The new SA benefit:
    http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/buy/how-to-buy-office-2010-through-volume-licensing-HA101809925.aspx
    “Microsoft Software Assurance now includes a new benefit enabling roaming-use rights for Office, Visio, and Project. Roaming-use rights allow more flexibility for users and offer more value for organizations with active Software Assurance. For customers operating virtual environments, the licensed user of an Office device can access a virtual Office image from outside the organization’s firewall from any device not controlled by the customer organization.”

So if I understand your question correctly, you only need to provide Volume Licensed copies of Office.

Steve