Category Archives: Uncategorized

Copilot Credits Guide – September 2026

Microsoft have updated the Copilot Credits Guide (four times!) for September 2026.

App building is the focus this month, with a key update covering Apps in Copilot Cowork, a feature that’s part of the early-access Microsoft Frontier Program. The guide covers details of App creation using natural language, billing, and hosting, and includes a useful illustration of its estimated Copilot Credits usage. The third update of the month adds a new section on Apps in Microsoft Copilot Studio, a feature in Paid Public Preview, covering usage-based billing for building, hosting, running, and managing Apps, its inclusion in the Power Apps Premium licence, and cost estimation. The fourth version features an updated term for the Microsoft-hosted cloud infrastructure, renaming “Microsoft-managed host” to “Copilot Managed Runtime Host”, along with an added section providing further details.

A flurry of other changes includes added terms, prerequisites, and useful links throughout.

Don’t forget the “What’s New” feature in our Licensing Guides Gallery, where we provide an overview of all the important changes. Subscribers can find all versions of the PDF guide here: https://bit.ly/4xPrgVI, alongside the ever-popular Cautionary Notes to navigate the errors we’ve discovered. If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can access the latest guide here: https://bit.ly/3VfBoZp.

Modern Work Plan Comparison documents – September 2026

The Modern Work Plan Comparison documents are updated for September 2026.

The main changes this month include the renaming of “Microsoft 365 Copilot” to simply “Microsoft Copilot”, the (somewhat overdue) removal of Delve, and the addition of two Defender Experts Add-ons for GCC customers.

If you’re a subscriber, don’t forget that we help you navigate the increasingly frequent errors in these documents every month with our Cautionary Notes. You’ll find these in our Licensing Guides Gallery, along with quick access to the documents and full details of what’s new: https://bit.ly/4rAa8kh.

Not yet a subscriber? You can find the latest versions of the documents for Enterprise, SMB, Education, and US Government customers here: https://bit.ly/4hn2hS2. If you’re a partner and prefer the Excel version, contact us from your work email address and we’ll send it right over: info@licensingschool.co.uk.

Microsoft promotions

As September draws to a close, 10 Microsoft promotions reach their conclusion.

The promos include three for Microsoft 365 E7, which were originally scheduled to end in December, a Windows 365 Enterprise offer, and a range of Microsoft 365 Copilot discounts.

Do you find it tricky to track Microsoft promotions? LicenseVerse subscribers use our hugely-popular Promotions Playground to view, search, and filter current and expired promotions – all in one place: https://bit.ly/PromotionsPlayground. If you’re not yet a subscriber, get in touch to hear more about how this, and our many other tools for licensing professionals, can help you too: info@licensingschool.co.uk.

Apps in Copilot Studio and Copilot Cowork

Microsoft announce App building in Copilot Studio and Copilot Cowork, alongside the existing options of Agents and Workflows.

With rollout starting in September, users in the early-access Frontier Program can use natural language to create, edit, and publish Apps that optionally use organisational data. It’s all enabled by the GitHub Copilot Harness and that means that both the building of the Apps and running them consumes Copilot Credits. As you’d hope, admins can manage the App policies and stats in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Read more in the Copilot Studio Blog: https://bit.ly/4A7xyl0.

Windows 10 LTSC 2021 ESUs

Extended Security Updates (ESUs) are now available for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, ahead of its End of Support date on 12 January 2027.

The ESUs cover eligible devices for three years post-support, until 8 January 2030, and you can purchase them through CSP or Volume Licensing. Following the usual rules, pricing doubles each year, although you can take advantage of a cheaper licence if you manage the devices with Intune or Windows Autopatch.

Read the overview and pricing details here: https://bit.ly/4yQjriJ. LicenseVerse subscribers can find explanations and more details here: https://bit.ly/4yAcuC5.

Exchange Server and Skype for Business Server End of Support

Microsoft confirm the paid End of Support date for Exchange Server 2016/2019 and Skype for Business Server 2015/2019 as the end of October 2026.

The original deadline of 14 October 2025 was extended with a double dose of ESUs ultimately lasting for an additional 12 months. Microsoft have reiterated that this phase of support is final, recommending (unsurprisingly!) upgrading any installations of Exchange Server and Skype for Business Server to a supported version. Subscribers will find the full details explained across LicenseVerse. The related article for Exchange Server is here: https://bit.ly/4hpSwEi, and Skype for Business Server here: https://bit.ly/3VbbSo4

Retirement of Publisher

Publisher will no longer be supported from October 2026.

As of 1 October 2026, subscribers with a Microsoft 365 licence will no longer have access to Publisher, and it won’t be included with new purchases. You can still use the application beyond October if you have a perpetual licence for Office LTSC 2021 (the last version to include it), but support ends on 13 October 2026. Microsoft recommend migrating to Word or PowerPoint as alternatives.

You’ll find full details and useful FAQs here: https://bit.ly/3TsdZU4.

CSP Software Subscriptions price update

1-year CSP Software Subscriptions with monthly billing will see a 5% uplift from 1 October 2026, affecting all new and renewing licences from that date.

There’s no change to the pricing if you pay upfront, or to the pricing and payment options for the 3-year licences.

You’ll find details in the Partner Center announcement here: https://bit.ly/4Aj5j2T. If you find yourself frustrated that these handy announcements vanish after a year, our subscriber-exclusive Partner Center Archive contains a comprehensive record across the years. Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4j53hNG, or drop us an email for more information: info@licensingschool.co.uk.

Windows Server 2016 ESUs

Microsoft have announced the General Availability of Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for Windows Server 2016.

With support ending on 12 January 2027, you can now secure up to three years of additional paid Critical and Important security updates running through to January 2030.

Check out the announcement article for Azure Arc-enabled ESUs here: https://bit.ly/3UihFId, and availability details for the traditional ESUs through CSP here: https://bit.ly/4wYxxx0.

Updated Visual Studio Licensing Guidance

Microsoft update their Visual Studio Licensing Guidance to clarify that Visual Studio 2026 doesn’t need a product key. The existing errors aren’t corrected however.

Subscribers can see what’s new and what to be wary of in our Licensing Guides Gallery: https://bit.ly/GuidesGallery. If you’re not yet a subscriber, grab this guide here: https://bit.ly/3Vj5afJ.