Monthly Archives: April 2014

IDC Whitepaper: Key Software Licensing Considerations for Next-generation Enterprise Environments

This is an interesting new whitepaper from IDC which discusses the shift towards what they are calling “the 3rd Platform”. In their words: “The 3rd Platform is the next-generation compute model characterized by a proliferation of always- connected smart mobile devices, coupled with the widespread usage of social networking, and layered over a cloud-based server infrastructure that supports important new workloads such as big data analytics.”

Here’s the summary of their main thoughts:

  • Businesses will transition to the 3rd Platform incrementally, and in that time there will be a complex hybrid mix of on-premises/cloud, perpetual/subscription, and PC/mobile software to manage
  • In the next 3-5 years, software licence spending will shift from capital budgets to operating budgets with an average increase in spend on subscription licences of 35%
  • 62% of organisations plan to use Licence Mobility in order to move applications to cloud infrastructure platforms
  • Software licence complexity will indirectly cost organisations an average of 25% of their software licence budgets by 2015
  • Historically, volume licensing programs were focused mainly on the discounts available; today, customers should look for agreements that allow them to migrate to the 3rd Platform at their own pace without being restricted by inflexible licensing terms or the need to sign multiple agreements

This, of course, all supports Microsoft’s “Cloud First Mobile First” strategy with licensing flexibility being key in offering new solutions to support workloads deployed partially or completely to the cloud, and enabling workers to access their corporate desktops in a variety of different scenarios.

Microsoft give their comments on the report on their Volume Licensing blog (http://bit.ly/1h8SYPw) and also make the (valid) point that the new Server and Cloud Enrolment is an ideal vehicle for licensing a traditional on-premises server farm today and then allowing a seamless transition of required workloads to the cloud tomorrow.

The report, written in a question and answer style, is worth a read in its entirety if you’re new to the 3rd Platform and want some more details: http://bit.ly/1fLH9OW.

Volume Licensing Briefs Updated for April 2014

Licensing Windows Embedded 8

  • Updated to reflect licensing changes to the Windows Embedded licensing options that came into operation on 1 April 2014
  • Previous brief: October 2013
  • http://bit.ly/17dGRlh

What are “Qualified Devices”?

  • A clarifying question regarding Industry Devices has been added to the Frequently Asked Questions section
  • Previous brief: November 2013
  • http://bit.ly/1dA2bmC

Introduction to Per Core Licensing and Basic Definitions

Microsoft Software License Dependency Reference Guide

Reimaging Rights

  • Updated to reflect Windows 8.1 Enterprise licensing changes, and clarifications added regarding reimaging the Windows Desktop OS with OEM media
  • Previous brief: November 2013
  • http://bit.ly/1a8GtyG

Multiplexing – Client Access Licenses (CAL) Requirements

  • Minor product version updates, but no inclusion yet of the new batch processing CAL waiver for SQL 2014 BI edition
  • Previous brief: December 2012
  • http://bit.ly/1ndOcHB

Licensing Microsoft Server Products for Use in Virtual Environments

 

Reimaging Rights: VL Brief Updated

The Reimaging Rights Volume Licensing Brief is updated, with the major changes concerning reimaging for the Windows Desktop OS. Here are the highlights:

  • Can you use VL media to reimage a device with an OEM licence to a previous version? Yes, if you obey the usual OEM n-2 downgrade rights.
  • Can you use OEM media to reimage devices? Yes, as long as the device was originally imaged with that precise media.

To this end, there are recommendations given when multiple OEMs have supplied devices into an organisation.

Download the brief here: http://bit.ly/1a8GtyG

Updated “Licensing Windows Embedded 8” Volume Licensing Brief

The Volume Licensing Brief for Windows Embedded 8 is updated in line with the licensing changes that came into effect from 1 April 2014. Here’s an overview of what’s new and different:

  • Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Enterprise edition is now available as an upgrade licence through Volume Licensing programs. Previously, Enterprise edition was a Software Assurance benefit when SA was added to the Pro edition
  • Software Assurance may only be added to Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Enterprise edition. Previously, SA could be added to the Pro edition. Note that, for a transition period, customers may add SA to the Pro edition purchased with new devices. The devices must have been purchased before 1 July 2014 and customers have 90 days to attach SA
  • New benefits are added when Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Enterprise is covered with SA to make the benefits almost identical to those available for Windows 8.1 Enterprise with SA. In fact, the only benefits that aren’t available now are the Enterprise Source Licensing Program and Windows Thin PC
  • There’s a new SA benefit added (which applies to Windows 8.1 Enterprise too) called “Enhanced Edition Rights” which allows the deployment of either Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Enterprise or Windows 8.1 Enterprise edition
  • Enterprise Sideloading is now enabled in the Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Pro edition, whether it is acquired through Volume Licensing programs or the OEM channel. Previously, this was only enabled in the Enterprise edition and Enterprise Sideloading for Windows Embedded 8.1 licences needed to be acquired for devices that were licensed for Windows Embedded 8.1 Pro or Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Pro. Note that the April 2014 Product List has not been updated to reflect this information
  • The Downgrade Rights have been extended allowing a downgrade to Windows Vista Business/Windows 7 Professional for Embedded Systems, or Windows Embedded 8 Pro

 

The whole brief is worth a read since it gives extra detail such as the different Embedded SKUs and the channels through which they can be acquired. Download the Volume Licensing Brief here: http://bit.ly/17dGRlh

Product and SA Changes in the April 2014 Product List

There are some interesting product changes to the April 2014 Product List; it’s not often we see changes to the SA benefits – this month there are two – and the importance of the cloud is confirmed with two new Online Services and just one new on-premises product.

Product Changes

  • Firstly, there’s a like for like replacement for SQL 2012 products for their new, shinier SQL 2014 equivalents, representing minimal changes to the licensing between versions. You need to go to the April 2014 PUR to find documentation of the two notable changes in SQL 2014 licensing: BI CALs are waived for batch processing, and the licensing of a passive server is now an SA benefit
  • Microsoft Social Listening SKUs are added – both the standalone Social Listening Professional USL and the Add-on USL for organisations that are already licensed with an on-premises Dynamics CRM Professional CAL – with active SA of course. And if you’re wondering precisely what “social listening” may be, then, in a nutshell, it’s a service to monitor social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. If you want more information on the product, then this datasheet is worth a scan: http://bit.ly/RiG5fZ
  • The USL for OneDrive for Business is also added and gives licensed users access to Office Online too
  • The Windows Industry SKUs follow in the footsteps of their close relative, Windows 8.1, with the Enterprise edition being available as a standalone SKU and SA just allowed to be added to the Enterprise edition. Naturally, there’s a “with MDOP” edition too. There are two flavours of each SKU dependent on which devices the licences are being assigned to, and there’s a table which helps you to decide which one is required as long as you know what operating system the device is currently licensed for

Software Assurance Changes

  • Previously, Office licences purchased through a Volume Licensing program gave access to “Office Web Apps”. This is now changed so that rights to an on-premises deployment through Office Web Apps Server 2013 are included with the licence, and rights to Office Online are only available as an SA benefit. There’s also a note that users must be licensed for SharePoint Online to access the Office Online service
  • Given the ever closer licensing between Windows 8.1 and its first cousin, Windows Industry, the “Enhanced Edition Benefits” is a new benefit for both these products which allows the deployment of either edition under active SA

The New Look April 2014 Product List

So, the Microsoft Product List has had a spring makeover. This post gives you an overview of what’s changed in terms of the information you can expect to find in this, my favourite licensing document.

One of the first things you’ll notice is that a huge 101 pages have been cut: the March 2014 Product List was 188 pages and the April 2014 one weighs in at a slimline 87 pages. Gosh, where’s everything gone? Well, a big change is the removal of most of the program related information (which does make sense since this is a Product List rather than a Program List) but I’ll miss details like what products make up the different platforms across the programs, for instance. Some old friends also disappear: that very long orange table at the beginning of the document is a thing of the past, so there’s no overview of all the products in one place, and the last twelve months’ of changes are also cut.

The products are now separated into on-premises licences and Online Services and then listed alphabetically. While this is undoubtedly convenient, it will take some getting used to having Streets and Trips between SQL Server and System Center! Then, another of the reasons for the reduced number of pages is the way that everything for a product has been extracted from multiple locations around the document and consolidated into one place.

Let’s look at the entry for SharePoint which you’ll see below. All of the SharePoint products have been grouped together into a mini table which shows the availability by program and includes a column for the new MPSA program. There’s more information about the details of how a particular product can be acquired through a particular program denoted by the letters in the cells. There’s a key for these letters, as before, or you can (allegedly) hover over the letter or column heading to get the full details. I have to confess I don’t have the required mouse skills to do this having only made it work once or twice…

There’s a useful set of information under the table which gives details of previous versions and other information pertinent to the product. The table for Office, for instance, confirms that Office Professional Plus qualifies as an Up To Date discount product, and that the Office products are platform independent.

SharePoint 2014 PL

The Microsoft Volume Licensing blog has an article on these changes too, and you might want to peruse that if you just can’t get enough of the Product List. And who could blame you? http://bit.ly/1n6DAau