Aussie first: Zettagrid flogs Office 365 ProPlus in its own cloud

Infrastructure-as-a-service provider Zettagrid has become the first Australian partner authorised to deploy Office 365 ProPlus in its own cloud.

By joining the Microsoft's Shared Computer Activation (SCA) program, Zettagrid's own partners can deploy Office 365 ProPlus in Zettagrid's cloud environment without having to pay twice for an equivalent license. The offering also extends to Project Pro and Visio Pro.

Zettagrid acknowledged it would forfeit Office SPLA revenue, but expects to make it up through the take-up of its infrastructure-as-a-service platform.

Chief executive Nathan Harman said being an SCA service provider allows Zettagrid's customers to maximise their investment in Office 365 ProPlus.

"Previously customers expressed to us their frustration at having to license Office ProPlus separately for cloud. With SCA, customers who have acquired Office 365 ProPlus for use on-premises can also deploy it concurrently in Zettagrid at no additional cost. SCA removes significant licensing barriers to DRaaS and virtual desktop,” said Harman.

Zettagrid partners must accept a supplemental partner agreement and record the details of customer usage to deploy Office 365 ProPlus for customers. An RDS license is also required for each user, which can be obtained through SPLA or license mobility.