Microsoft aims to reduce 'complex' software licensing

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Microsoft UK's managing director Gordon Frazer agreed that the company's software licensing is complicated, but said it is making an effort to reduce the number of licence options, to make it easier for customers to understand what software they're buying and how to get the best value for money.

In an exclusive interview with ZDNet UK's sister site silicon.com, Frazer said the number of licensing options Microsoft has means it offers choice "and choice, by definition, comes with a certain amount of complexity". Frazer told silicon.com: "If we only had one model, and the one and only model we had was 'pay x per user per month', that's a great model: but doesn't necessarily suit everybody for everything."

"We've reduced the number of licensing programmes we have significantly. We've reduced the complexity of those. The amount of terms and conditions, clauses, etc, on our contracts is something we continue to focus on reducing over time," he added.

For more on this story, see Microsoft licensing: How the cloud is changing your software options on silicon.com.