Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) is a Microsoft maintenance program aimed at business users who use Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and other server and desktop applications. The core premise behind SA is to give users the ability to spread payments over multiple years, while offering « free » upgrades to newer versions during that time period.

The full list of benefits, effective March 2006, are as follows:

• Free upgrades: Subscribers may upgrade to newer versions of their Microsoft software
• Access to exclusive software products
• Training: Free training from Microsoft and access to Microsoft E-Learning, a series of interactive online training tools for users. This training can only be taken at a Microsoft Certified Partner for Learning Solutions and can only be redeemed for training that is categorized as Microsoft Official Curriculum.
• Home use: Employees of a company with SA can use an additional copy of Microsoft software
• Access to source code for larger companies (1,500+ desktops)
• 24×7 telephone and web support
• Additional error reporting tools
• Free licenses for additional servers provisioned as « Cold backups » of live servers
• Access to Microsoft TechNet managed newsgroups
• Access to Microsoft TechNet downloads for 1 user
• Extended Hotfix support: Typically Microsoft charges for non-security hotfixes after mainstream support for the product has ended (e.g. 5 years for Windows); this charge is waived for SA customers

All benefits are generated by a Benefits Administrator at the customer organization and can be managed on the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center.