How do most small businesses acquire Office licenses?

I'd say the key benefit of Open Licenses is that they simplify management. If you have licenses, all you need to do for compliance is count how many copies of each version you have installed and check that you have the licenses for them all - no worrying about upgrades, OEM, etc.

You only need to buy 5 licenses at one time to get into the program, so it's not just for large companies. If you can't find a good local reseller, you can buy them through mail order companies like Insight or CDW.

It sounds like the company you're talking about doesn't upgrade when new versions come out, so they probably won't want to get Software Assurance. OTOH, you can't buy a new license for Office 2000 or 2003, so if they switch to licenses, it would be natural to look at upgrading everyone to the latest version. You are allowed to buy licenses for the current version and install an older version, so if they really don't want to train people on 2007 right now, they don't have to.

I agree that Open License works well for even small organizeations. The five minimum is easy to reach. It can seem confusing but a good reseller can easily show the cost savings. That usually changes the perception that it is complex.

As to the action pack licesnes... They are for MS Partners. If they are a partner, why not buy from distribution? The Action Pack licenses may be an issue. Check the details at the MS site for the country in question.

Partner Action Pack North America

"Microsoft Action Pack Solution Provider will continue to offer internal-use, full-version software, online technical support, and sales resources to help you meet your sales goals, stay competitive, and grow your business"