U – Z

U

Unified Operations Plan: See Dynamics 365 Unified Operations Plan.

Unified Service Desk (USD): Part of the Dynamics 365 Customer Service solution which enables organizations to quickly build applications for call centers so that agents can get a unified view of customer data. Learn about the licensing of Unified Service Desk here.

Update Channels: The cadence of feature and non-security updates for products. Find out more about the update channels for the Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft Project, and Visio Online. 

Up-To-Date discount (UTD): A discount in the OVS program for customers who have existing licenses for one of the Enterprise Products. Learn about the Up-To-Date discount in OVS here.

USD: Unified Service Desk.

User SL: User Subscription License.

UTD: Up-To-Date discount.

User Subscription License: A non-perpetual license assigned to a single, named user, typically for an Online Services product. Learn about licensing the Online Services here.

V

vCore size flexibility: A feature available for Reserved Capacity which enables customers to scale up or down. Learn about vCore size flexibility here.

VDA: Virtual Desktop Access. 

VDI: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. 

VECD: Virtual Enterprise Centralized Desktop. 

Virtual Desktop Access (VDA): A license to allow access to a Windows virtual desktop from a device which does not have a Qualifying Operating System. Learn about licensing virtual desktops here.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI): A technology solution that hosts desktops on a central server allowing users to remotely access their virtual desktops from any device. Learn about licensing on-premises VDI solutions with Windows 11 device and Windows 11 user licenses, or cloud solutions with Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365.

Virtual Enterprise Centralized Desktop (VECD): The former name of the Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) license.

Virtual machine (VM): A software-based imitation of a physical computer which runs an operating system and applications like a physical computer, but within a software environment. Learn about licensing Windows Server and SQL Server in virtual machines.

Virtual Operating System Environment (VOSE): When an operating system, such as Windows Server or Windows 11, runs inside a virtual machine, rather than directly on physical hardware. Learn about licensing Windows Server and SQL Server in virtual machines.

Visio: A tool for creating business diagrams. Learn about the licensing of Visio LTSC 2024 and Visio Online. 

Visual Studio: Microsoft’s Integrated Development Environment (IDE) tool. Learn about the licensing of Visual Studio Cloud subscriptions and Standard subscriptions.

Visual Studio Marketplace: A portal where you can purchase Visual Studio Cloud subscriptions. Learn more about licensing Visual Studio Cloud subscriptions here.

Visual Studio Team Foundation Server: The former name of Azure DevOps Server.

Viva: Microsoft’s Employee Experience Platform (EXP) solution, designed to improve the overall employee experience with an integrated set of modules which enhance employee engagement, productivity, and well-being. Learn about licensing the Viva modules here.

Viva Amplify: A campaign management and publishing tool within Teams to help leaders and corporate communicators get their message across and energize their people. Learn about licensing Viva Amplify here.

Viva Connections: A product that consolidates personalized corporate news, conversations, information, tasks, and useful resources for employees into a single hub within Teams. Learn about licensing Viva Connections here.

Viva Employee Communications and Communities: A suite of Viva employee experience products comprising Viva Connections, Viva Engage and Viva Amplify. Learn about licensing Viva Employee Communications and Communities here.

Viva Engage: An enterprise social platform that connects employees and fosters engagement within organizations. Viva Engage replaces and was built on the foundation of Yammer Communities. Learn about licensing Viva Engage here.

Viva Glint: A company-wide survey tool for measuring employee satisfaction and well-being capturing feedback from across the enterprise. Learn about licensing Viva Glint here.

Viva Goals: A Microsoft Teams or web app that enables business goal setting promoting employee alignment with business priorities via the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework. Learn about licensing Viva Goals here.

Viva Insights: A product for improving employee productivity and wellbeing that helps manage their time for breaks, focused work, and learning. Core features originate from Microsoft MyAnalytics and Workplace Analytics.  Learn about licensing Viva Insights here.

Viva Learning: A product that enables employees to access training and knowledge base modules all in one place within Teams, aggregated from various sources including Microsoft Learn, third parties and an organization’s own content. Learn about licensing Viva Learning here.

Viva Pulse: A survey tool for managers to quickly gather insights and ad-hoc feedback from their direct reports or specific business units to gauge worker productivity and sentiment. Learn about licensing Viva Pulse here.

Viva Sales: The previous name for Sales Copilot.

Viva Suite: A plan that comprises Viva Connections, Viva Engage, Viva Amplify, Viva Insights, Viva Glint, Viva Pulse, Viva Goals and Viva Learning, offering a significant discount compared to buying each module individually. Learn about licensing the Viva Suite here.

Viva Topics: A product that applies AI to organize and structure knowledge within an organization’s Microsoft 365 environment into topic pages. This module is being deprecated and will be retired in February 2025.

Viva Workplace Analytics and Employee Feedback: A suite of Viva employee experience products comprising Viva Insights, Viva Glint and Viva Pulse. Learn about licensing Viva Workplace Analytics and Employee Feedback here.

VLSC: Volume Licensing Service Center.

VM: Virtual machine.

Volume Licensing agreement: Terms and conditions that set out how an organization can efficiently and cost-effectively purchase licenses for multiple users and computers. Today there are five Volume Licensing agreements aimed at commercial customers: Open Value (Organization-Wide or non Organization-Wide), Open Value Subscription, the Enterprise Agreement, MPSA, and Select Plus.

Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC): The original portal for customers with a Volume Licensing agreement to, for example, download software and manage SA benefits. Retired by Microsoft in April 2024 in favor of the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

VOSE: Virtual Operating System Environment.

W

W365: Windows 365.

WDP: Workplace Discount Program.

Web Direct: A term Microsoft sometimes use for a customer who is buying via the Microsoft website and who has accepted the terms of the MOSA.

Windows 11:  Microsoft’s client operating system. Learn about the licensing of Windows 11 by device and by user.

Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024: The Long-Term Servicing Channel edition of Windows for which there is a new release every two or three years. Learn about the licensing of Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 here.

Windows 365: Microsoft’s Cloud PC solution providing users with their own personal Windows desktop running in the cloud. Learn about the licensing of Windows 365 here.

Windows 365 Cross Region Disaster Recovery: An add-on product for Windows 365 Enterprise that protects against regional outages by creating a temporary copy of users’ Cloud PCs in another geographic region.  Learn about the licensing of Windows 365 for disaster recovery here.

Windows 365 Link: A Cloud PC device purpose-built by Microsoft to connect in a speedy and secure way to Windows 365. Learn about licensing Windows 365 Link here.

Windows Azure: The original name of Azure.

Windows Hybrid Benefit: A licensing benefit that reduces the cost of a Windows 365 Business license, available to customers who have devices running Windows 10/11 Pro. Learn more about the Windows Hybrid Benefit here.

Windows Multipoint Server: A flavor of Windows Server that multiple users can access, each having their own unique Windows session, managed via MultiPoint Services. Originally for educational institutions, it supports multiple monitors, keyboard and mouse peripherals. Learn about the licensing of Windows Server here.

Windows Server: Microsoft’s server operating system. Learn about the licensing of Windows Server on-premises and in virtual machines. 

Windows Server: Azure edition: An edition of Windows Server optimized to run on Azure. Learn about the licensing of Windows Server: Azure edition here.

Windows To Go (WTG): A deployment option for Windows on a USB drive, retired by Microsoft in 2020.

Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD): The former name of Azure Virtual Desktop.

Work at Home licenses: : A license to allow users to install software on their home devices. Learn about Work at Home licenses here.

Workplace Discount Program (WDP): Rights to purchase licenses for use at home. Learn about the Workplace Discount Program for Office 2024, Project 2024, Visio 2024 and Microsoft 365 Enterprise. The Workplace Discount Program was previously known as the Home Use Program. 

WTG: Windows To Go.

WVD: Windows Virtual Desktop.

X

XDR: Extended Detection and Response. 

Y

Yammer: The former name of Viva Engage.