{"id":13437,"date":"2021-10-01T11:40:31","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T06:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hexnode.com\/blogs\/?p=13437"},"modified":"2023-07-17T00:11:15","modified_gmt":"2023-07-16T18:41:15","slug":"how-to-distribute-paid-app-licenses-using-hexnode-uem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hexnode.com\/blogs\/how-to-distribute-paid-app-licenses-using-hexnode-uem\/","title":{"rendered":"How to distribute paid app licenses using Hexnode UEM"},"content":{"rendered":"

Distributing paid apps have always been a pain for IT admins. More so now that people are moving towards a work environment with absolutely no network boundaries. Assigning the right apps to the right users, managing permissions, it already seems like a nightmare. But little do they know they still haven’t come to face with the chief villain. The final boss. The big question. “How will IT admins distribute paid app licenses to all their users?”<\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t think about that? Well, your paid apps are pretty much useless if you haven\u2019t figured out a way to distribute app licenses or activation codes to your users. And if you\u2019re thinking about sending them the good ol\u2019 way via email, well, the 1990s called, they said they want their idea back.<\/p>\n

But seriously, it’s 2021! There are way safer and better alternatives to distribute your users\u2019 app licenses. And what\u2019s more, you can even activate licenses without your users ever getting to see or know the code. Such a feat can be achieved by employing the assistance of a Unified Endpoint Management solution<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Well, without further ado, let\u2019s take a look at some popular business apps, and see how you can securely distribute their licenses to your users, using a UEM.<\/p>\n

How to distribute Microsoft Office licenses using Hexnode UEM<\/h2>\n

I’m sure we’re all pretty familiar with Microsoft Office. It’s the OG legend of desktop productivity apps that’s been here for three decades and shows no signs of slowing down. Since the early ages of desktop PCs, MS Office has been a dominant model in delivering modern, office-related, document-handling software environments.<\/p>\n

However, when it comes to handling licenses, Microsoft stays true to its name of overly complicating things up. There are a multitude of methods and processes at their disposal when it comes to distributing Microsoft Office licenses. And trust me, if you don\u2019t have a proper guide to help you wade through their swamp of documentation, you\u2019re gonna drown (personal experience talking).<\/p>\n \t\t

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Know the difference between Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), and Microsoft Office (volume license)<\/h3>\n

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\"User<\/a><\/center>
User working on a paid app<\/em><\/center> <\/p>\n

Alright, before we move on, let\u2019s get this straight. Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Office are not the same software.<\/p>\n

Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365)<\/a> is a Software as a Service (SaaS) offering that consolidates the popular Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote, along with other Microsoft application services, all of which are enabled from within their Azure cloud platform. On the other hand, Microsoft Office (volume licensing)<\/a> refers to the software offered by Microsoft for organizations that require multiple licenses, without depending on the cloud.<\/p>\n

There are several distinct differences in features and use cases – not to mention licensing procedures – between these products. Let\u2019s take a look at them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nMicrosoft 365 (formerly\u00a0Office 365)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nMicrosoft\u00a0Office (volume license)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Included apps<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nOutlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote + additional Microsoft 365 apps (depending on the plan\u00a0you purchased)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nOutlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Licensing<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nLicenses are assigned and activated from the Microsoft 365 portal<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nLicenses are assigned and activated using product keys<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Licenses are assigned before the end-user installs the software<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nLicenses are assigned after the end-user installs the software<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Features and updates<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nReceives the latest features, along with security updates and bug fixes<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nReceives security updates and bug fixes only<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Provides access to collaboration tools<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nDoes not include collaboration tools<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Allows integration with OneDrive, Office Online, Microsoft Teams, and more<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nDoes not include integrations<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Use cases<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nWhen businesses require collaboration\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nWhen businesses require shared devices. (Labs, offices)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
When devices are assigned to a single user<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nWhen one device is accessed by many users<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
When devices have 24\/7 access to the internet<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nWhen devices do not have 24\/7 access to the internet<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

If your company has purchased Microsoft 365 apps and services for its users, you can assign and activate the licenses straight from your company\u2019s Microsoft 365 portal<\/a>. You do not need to activate licenses via product keys. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Depending on your plan, you can also use group-based licensing with Azure AD<\/a>. However, if you do not like these methods, there are also other ways to activate licenses for Microsoft 365 apps, which I shall briefly mention here.<\/p>\n

Using Office Deployment Tool (ODT)<\/h4>\n

The Office Deployment Tool (ODT)<\/a> is a command-line tool that you can use to download and deploy Microsoft 365 Apps to your required devices. The ODT gives you more control over the installation, including defining which products and languages are installed, how the device should update those products, and whether or not to perform a silent installation of these products. Here is a gist of the steps involved.<\/p>\n