Microsoft is updating Software Assurance Training Vouchers beginning in February 2020 to ensure Software Assurance stays relevant and useful to customers. With this change in direction, some Software Assurance benefits will be retired or changed to eliminate redundancies and better align Software Assurance benefits across Microsoft’s products and services portfolio. The changes made also simplify benefit redemptions and replace outdated implementation mechanisms. While each customer experience is unique, all customers can benefit from the ability to optimize their business performance through Software Assurance.
Microsoft is investing in new ways to help organizations deploy, train, and get support for the products and services they buy. Because those new ways overlap with some dated and underused Software Assurance benefits, and the redemption process for some benefits are cumbersome and outdated, Microsoft is retiring those overlapping and outdated benefits.
Why are training vouchers being removed?
Customer and market feedback indicated a need for a streamlined learning experience. Microsoft is making significant investments to increase the alignment and quality of training offerings and certifications outside of Software Assurance over time.
When are the SATV changes happening?
The changes will start in February 2020 and will gradually be implemented by January 1, 2022.
February 1, 2020
- Training vouchers can no longer be converted to planning services days.
- Retire Cloud services from Deployment Planning Services catalog
- Azure courses will be removed from training voucher redemption
February 1, 2021
- Retire accrual of new planning days
- Retire accrual of new training vouchers
- New contracts after this date won’t have any training vouchers assigned and existing contracts won’t receive any additional training vouchers.
January 1, 2022
- Last day to redeem planning days vouchers for existing contracts
- Last day to redeem training vouchers for existing contracts
Will the changes apply to all active Software Assurance contracts as of February 2020?
Beginning February 1, 2020, the changes apply to all contracts regardless of status—midterm, new, and renewal. There is still time to use the benefits already accrued, customers will still accrue deployment planning days, training days, and support incidents until February 2021. Deployment planning days and training vouchers can be used until January 2022.
How long do customers have to use their existing vouchers?
Customers can continue to redeem any accrued training days as vouchers until January 1, 2022. Azure content will be removed from the voucher course list beginning February 1, 2020.
Where do customers go for help with their training benefit?
Azure Customers: Contact a SATV utilization expert to assist with redeeming your existing Azure training vouchers before they are not longer available for redemption in February 2020. If your business or organization has an identified Azure project with a defined, specific workload with pressing intent, please contact us today to talk about FastTrack for Azure.
Non-Azure Microsoft Customers: Training vouchers will expire in January 2022, but don't wait to schedule training. Contact a SATV utilization expert to discuss a plan to redeem your vouchers before they expire.
About Microsoft Software Assurance Training Vouchers
Training vouchers entitle you to receive courses from Microsoft Learning partners such as New Horizons for a specific number of training days. The number of days granted varies by program and the number of qualifying Office and/or Windows licenses covered with Software Assurance.
The benefits of training vouchers include:
- Employee skill enhancement—Improve productivity with training and support for your IT staff. Prepare your IT staff to efficiently deploy, manage, and support now software.
- Reduced training costs—Training is already included under the Software Assurance coverage. With SATV, you can provide technical training for your IT Pro and Developer staff without impacting your budget.
- Learning Partner support— New Horizons can help create an optimal training strategy for your organization and help you plan the most effective way to use training vouchers.
- Guaranteed pricing—Microsoft and New Horizons have set pricing that is included with your Software Assurance coverage. One training voucher day equals one classroom-training day.
