On-Premise Deployment
Q:Does MS Project come bundled with MS Office?
No. Project is not bundled with Office and mustbe purchased separately.
Q: Why do I need Project Professional?
Project Professional provides more features than Project Standard. One of the major reasons for choosing Project Professional is the ability to connect to Project Server. This enables you to gain insight into the portfolio-level view, andgive View, Update, or Edit access to project team members via Project CAL.
Q: Can I connect Project Standard to Project Server?
No. Project Standard is ‘standalone’ and does not connect to Project Server. You will needto upgrade to Project Professional to access Project Server.
Q: How do I upgrade from Project Standard to Project Professional?
Depending on your licensing agreement, you maybe able to purchase the upgrade SKU (paying the price difference) and not need a new Project Professional license. If your licensing agreement does not provide an upgrade path, you will have to purchase a new Project Professional license.
Q: Why do I need Project Server?
Project Server gives you the ability to execute your business at a project portfolio level. While Project Professional is deployed in many businesses and can operate in a silo, Project Server allows you to bring all your projects together, and give View, Access, or Edit rights to various team member across the organization.
Q: I am ready to license Project Server. Is that enough?
No. Project Server deployment also requires you to license Windows Server, SQL Server and Sharepoint Server. You will also need the corresponding CALs (Sharepoint CAL, etc.) to ensure that you meet all the necessary licensing terms.
Q: What is a CAL?
CAL stands for Client Access Licenseand provides the right to access a server. If you have deployed Project Server, Project CALs give your users and devices the right to access Project Server.
Q: Are there various types of CAL?
Yes. Typically, there are two types of CAL, a User CAL and a Device CAL. A User CAL gives a user the right to access the server and a Device Cal is for devices. Potentially, these two types of CALs are priced differently and might have different use rights (check your licensing agreement).
Q: How many Project CALs do I need?
This depends on the number of users and devices that will be accessing the Project Server. Typically, each user and each device need one CAL.
Q: Does Project Professional include a CAL?
Yes. Each license of Project Professional includes one Project Device CAL.
Cloud Deployment
Q: Is it cheaper to use the cloud version of MS Project?
It depends. When you think of cost, you should not only think of the licensing costs, but the total cost of product ownership. In addition to licensing costs, the cost of hardware, professional consulting fees, and recurring maintenance costs should be factored in. Obviously when one uses MS Project in the cloud, some of these costs are not incurred. The answer to the question is very specific to your use case and should be modelled out.
Q: I am already using MS Project on-premise. How do I transition to cloud?
Depending on your licensing agreement with Microsoft, you might be able to use the transition SKUs to switch to cloud and not have to purchase new SKUs. The transition SKUs give you the ability to simply pay the cost difference.
Q: Are all cloud SKUs of MS Project web browser based?
No. Project Pro for Office 365 is not web browser based,it is a client that is installed on your PC. Project Online and Project Lite are web browser based.
Q: I have a Mac, am I able to use all cloud SKUs of MS Project on my Mac?
No. Only Project Online and Project Lite that are web browser based can be used on your Mac.Project Pro for Office 365 can only be used on a Windows PC.
Q: Do I own the license to the cloud SKU after I stop paying the subscription fee?
No. You have access rights to the cloud SKU only while you arepaying the subscription fee. This is different from on-premise versions where you own the license.
Q: What is the difference between Project Professional and Project Pro for Office 365?
While both versions are installed clients on your PC, the major difference between Project Professional and Project Pro for Office 365is how they are updated. If you have a Software Assurance agreement with Microsoft, you get new versions of Project Professional when new versions are launched by Microsoft (typically, once every few years). With Project Pro for Office 365, you do not need to worry about updates. If you have enabled automatic updates, Microsoft will keep updating the installed client on your PC on a recurring basis. Another major difference isnumber of installations. Typically, one license of Project Professional gives you the ability to install on one PC.With Project Pro for Office 365, you are licensed to install up tofive PCs.
Q: Do I need to be an Office 365 subscriber to use cloud SKUs of Project?
No. Project can be purchased and deployed independent of Office 365. You can continue to use the on-premise version of Office and still deploy Project in the cloud. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, you can choose to add the Project cloud subscription to your current Office 365 subscription as an add-on, or have two different subscriptions.
Q: Do cloud products of Project work with all Office 365 Plans?
No. Before purchasing Project cloud SKUs, make sure which Office 365 SKU you are on. Depending on the Office 365 SKU, you may be able to add the new Project cloud SKUs to your current subscription. To add a Project subscription to an existing Office 365 subscription, the Office 365 subscription must be intheBusiness (Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business Premium), Enterprise (Office 365 Enterprise E1, Office 365 Enterprise E3, Office 365 Enterprise E4, Office 365 Enterprise E5, Office 365 Enterprise K1), Education (Office 365 Education), or Government (Office 365 Government E1, Office 365 Government E3, Office 365 Government E4, Office 365 Government K1) families.If you have a subscription to an Office 365 plan that is not listed above, your subscription to Project cannot be added to your existing Office 365 subscription and will need to be added separately.
Q: Do I need Sharepoint Online to use Project Online?
Yes. Sharepoint Online is an infrastructural requirement for using Project Online. If you do not already have Sharepoint Online, it will be deployed for you while deploying Project Online.
Q: When do I need Project Online vs Project Lite?
From a technical standpoint, Project Lite has the same capabilities as Project Online.However, from a licensing standpoint, Project Lite gives you the rights to use only a subset of functionality of Project Online. These capabilities enable you to view and edit timesheets, manage tasks, add issues and risks, and collaborate on project documents. Similar to Project Online, the subscription to Project Lite gives you access rights toProject Server deployment.
Q: Is Project Online required for using Project Lite?
Yes. You need to have a subscription to Project Online before you can use Project Lite.
Q: What is the benefit of Project Online with Project Pro for Office 365?
By bundling Project Online with Project Pro for Office 365 it enables you to purchase both products in one transaction. However, there is no price discount for purchasing the bundle instead of each product separately.
Q: Does MS Project offer hybrid deployment, i.e. on-premise and cloud?
Yes. If you already have an on-premise deployment of Project Server, it is possible for you to continue to use the on-premise deployment in conjunction with Project Online and Project Lite. Microsoft offers the ability to have a hybrid deployment where the on-premise version can be accessed from Project Online, Project Lite or Project Pro for Office 365.
Q: I am looking for MS Project alternatives. Arethere any good resources?
Here is a great resource to check out when considering an alternative to Microsoft Project.
