SQL Server 2019 Generally Available

Microsoft announce that SQL Server 2019 is generally available. There are the usual product enhancements you’d expect with, from a licensing perspective, the most significant being support for deploying Big Data Clusters. A new SA benefit gives customers an allowance for licensing Big Data Cluster nodes, with additional licences available in the (inevitable) 2-core pack. There are also SA benefits added for licensing Disaster Recovery solutions.

Find the announcement here: http://bit.ly/2pGwlD5, with a 42-page Licensing Guide here: http://bit.ly/SQL2019LGNov2019.

Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide

There’s an updated (November 2019) Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide. There are a number of changes which, as usual, you can find detailed in the Change Log on page 68. The most interesting ones include the addition of Digital Messaging – a new messaging Add-on for Customer Service Enterprise, licensed by user (page 19), and Chatbot Sessions for use with Azure Bot Framework bots, where each Chat and Digital Messaging licence receives an entitlement of 50 chatbot sessions pooled at the tenant level, with additional chatbot sessions available as an Add-on (page 31). There’s also some wording added on page 6 to clarify when logins are shared and individual with Device SLs.

Find this guide here: http://bit.ly/D365LGNov2019.

Project for the web

Microsoft announce the availability of “the new Project” or “Project for the web”, the most recent offering for cloud-based work and project management. A brand new Project Plan 1 will be available at $10 per user per month to manage projects through a browser, with Project Plan 3 ($30 per user per month) and Project Plan 5 ($55 per user per month) available with access to additional functionality and the choice of managing projects with the desktop client. Note that these plans are renamed from Project Online Professional and Project Online Premium respectively, and continue to give access to Project Online, as well as Project for the web.

If this all sounds a trifle confusing, then check out this introductory article “What is Project for the web” (http://bit.ly/2WFtMNG), this comparison article “Project for the web and Project Online” (http://bit.ly/2pBDWmc) and the Microsoft Project Service Description (http://bit.ly/328gGcF).

The announcement article (http://bit.ly/34pMtHG) confirms that Project Plan 1 is available for purchase online starting 29 October, 2019 in the US and select international markets, with availability in other international markets from mid-November with the exception of France and South Korea.

Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide

There’s an updated (October 2019) Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide which reflects the significant licensing changes applicable from 1 October, 2019. The Dynamics plans are removed throughout, and the new base and attach licences are detailed on page 5 with a summary table on page 64. There are also sections added for new functionality such as Fraud Protection, as well as countless smaller changes which you’ll find detailed in the Change Log on page 66. Find this guide at http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.

Extended Security Updates for Windows 7 to be available in CSP

Microsoft announce that Extended Security Updates for Windows 7 will be available to purchase through the CSP program from 1 December, 2019. Find the announcement here: http://bit.ly/35gkQ57, and the latest FAQ in the Desktop section of our Licensing Guides emporium: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.

General Availability of Windows Virtual Desktop

Microsoft announce the General Availability of Windows Virtual Desktop on 30 September, 2019: http://bit.ly/33abTIG. This page is a useful reminder of the licences required to access WVD: http://bit.ly/2UxKalz, and it’s been updated with the changes to the Microsoft 365 licence assignment rules where customers can now assign Microsoft 365 licences to any user, regardless of the user’s primary device, to use WVD and Office 365 – see the September 2019 Product Terms for details. If you’re a partner, then you’ll find some useful partner resources on WVD here: http://bit.ly/33fm4eS.

Dynamics 365 Business Edition Licensing Guide

The Dynamics team continue their update of their licensing guides before the licensing changes that are due in October 2019. It’s literally just a removal of any references to the Dynamics 365 plans that differentiates the October 2019 edition of the Dynamics 365 Business Edition Licensing Guide and you can find it here: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.

Dynamics 365 for Operations Server Licensing Guide

There’s an updated (October 2019) Dynamics 365 for Operations Server Licensing Guide. The main changes are for the licensing changes that will happen in October 2019: references to the Unified Operations plan are removed, and From SA User SLs become the only option for moving to the cloud. As usual, check out the Change Log for full details on page 24.

Find this Licensing Guide here: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.