Activating SPLA Accounts – Faster Time to Market

As a Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) reseller, you want to activate your SPLA Accounts as quickly as possible. And you want to ensure those SPLA Accounts are successful upon activation. Achieving a high rate of activation means a faster time to market for the SPLA Accounts, and more revenue for you both.

Defining an Activated SPLA Account

An activated service provider is defined as a partner who has enrolled in SPLA and is reporting licenses to Microsoft. The more SPLA Accounts you activate, the more revenue you generate.

To help you activate SPLA Accounts faster, Microsoft has put together a set of best practices that tell you exactly what you can do to help service providers activate their SPLA Account.

Four Steps to Achieving a High Rate of Activation

Four Steps to Achieving a High Rate of Activation

1. When to sign the agreement – Partners should enroll in SPLA when they are close to having a solution ready for the market and have identified prospective customers. Ideally, this is two to three months before the provider’s “go live” date. Doing so reduces the number of zero usage reports to submit as well as the risk of termination due to non-reporting or consecutive zero usage reports (6).
2. Understand the motivation for enrolling in SPLA – Contact the service provider as soon as possible after they have enrolled in SPLA to introduce yourself and explain the range of support you can offer, including Hosting University. Learn about the solution the service provider intends to offer customers, understand which products are included, identify the target audience for the services (industry, size, geography, etc.), and the business model to be utilized. Doing so allows you to offer support specific to the needs of the service provider.
   Note: If possible, contact the provider by phone to collect the above information.
3. Understand Licensing and Reporting requirements – Make sure the service provider is aware of how to license the solution they plan on deploying, knows how to obtain the media, and knows exactly how to submit usage reports each month. Encourage them to set up a reminder on their calendars to report consistently. Also, ensure that they know who to contact if they have any questions.
4. Try before you buy – Encourage service providers to sign up prospective customers for a free trial. SPLA permits trials up to 60 days at no cost to the service provider. The “try before you buy” model is a great vehicle for getting prospects exposed to the services without any financial obligation.

Faster Time to Market

When you follow the four steps to achieving a high rate of activation, you will have the tools you need to increase the rate of activation for your SPLA Accounts. By knowing when to sign the agreement, understanding the motivation for enrolling in SPLA, understanding the licensing and reporting requirements, and recommending a “try before you buy” model, you can directly impact how fast SPLA Accounts are activated. The faster you activate SPLA Accounts, the faster you and your SPLA Accounts can begin generating revenue.