Category Archives: Uncategorized

Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid GA

Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid is now generally available.

Microsoft’s new offering lets you run AVD session hosts on your own on-premises hardware (or that of an Authorized Outsourcer) while benefiting from the cloud management features that Azure offers, making it suitable for organizations with regulatory or compliance requirements. The licensing rules are similar to traditional AVD, with the requirement of a qualifying licence, but differ in that you also need an Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid licence.

LicenseVerse subscribers can read the full explanation and details here: https://bit.ly/4dQGEcl. Find the announcement article here: https://bit.ly/4rIOQB2.

Microsoft 365 A7 and Microsoft 365 G7

Microsoft 365 A7 for Education and Microsoft 365 G7 for Government Community Cloud (GCC) both launched on 1 October 2026.

The two new offerings are positioned as the Education and US Government versions of Microsoft 365 E7, overtaking Microsoft 365 A5 and Microsoft 365 G5 as the top-tier licences available.

For Education customers, Microsoft 365 A7 comes in flavours for faculty and students, with a Student Use Benefit option also available.

While not all features of Microsoft 365 G7 are available immediately for GCC customers, additional capabilities are planned to arrive in stages over the coming months. The release coincided with the general availability of Agent 365 for GCC, which launched on the same day.

You’ll find Microsoft 365 A7 details in the Product Terms change summary for October here: https://bit.ly/3Tuy7Fe and a feature breakdown on the updated Subscription License Suites website here: https://bit.ly/4cqn6v9. You can read the announcement article for Microsoft 365 G7 here: https://bit.ly/4yK6Ptw and view further information on the Public Sector Blog: https://bit.ly/4Afay3v.

Power Platform licensing resources – September 2026

Microsoft have updated the Power Platform licensing resources multiple times throughout September 2026.

Key changes include the renaming of “Microsoft 365 Copilot” to simply “Microsoft Copilot”, new details and terms around App building in Copilot Cowork and Copilot Studio, and references to the newly revealed name for the Microsoft-hosted cloud infrastructure for Apps – the Copilot Managed Runtime.

With five(!) versions of the Licensing Guide and four updates to the Licensing Deck, our Licensing Guides Gallery is fast becoming one of our most essential subscriber tools. You can track changes, view all versions, and review the Cautionary Notes to navigate potential stumbling blocks. Access all of this information here: https://bit.ly/4cHjNj3. If you’re not yet a subscriber, grab a copy of the latest Licensing Guide here: https://bit.ly/4iPh2Qv, and the Licensing Deck here: https://bit.ly/4hc29Xl.

Dynamics 365 licensing resources – September 2026

The Dynamics 365 licensing resources have been updated a couple of times for September 2026.

The main change this month is support for headless commerce, so that customers can run custom storefronts for their specific business requirements while still using Dynamics 365 Commerce for pricing, promotions, inventory, orders fulfilment etc. There are two new Add-on licences: Headless Import for importing completed retail transactions captured outside Dynamics 365 Commerce, and Headless Orchestration for capturing third-party retail transactions using Dynamics 365 Commerce APIs.

You’ll find details of both options throughout the Licensing Guide and Licensing Deck. Get full details of the changes using the one-click “Dynamics 365” filter in our subscriber-exclusive Licensing Guides Gallery: https://bit.ly/GuidesGallery. You’ll also find details of all the changes to be aware (and wary) of through our “What’s New” and “Cautionary Notes” features. If you’re not yet a subscriber, grab a copy of the Licensing Guide here: https://bit.ly/4xiJXA3 and the Licensing Deck here: https://bit.ly/463B02j.

Copilot Studio Licensing Guide – September 2026

The Microsoft Copilot Studio Licensing Guide has been updated (three times!) for September 2026.

App building is the key focus this month, matching the updates found in the Copilot Credits Guide. This new feature in Paid Public Preview lets you create Apps in addition to the existing Workflow and Agent capabilities in Copilot Studio. The third version of the guide features an updated term for the Microsoft-hosted cloud infrastructure, with the renaming of “Microsoft-managed host” to “Copilot Managed Runtime Host”.

Get the details of what’s new (and what’s wrong!) with the Microsoft licensing resources that we collect by browsing our hugely popular subscriber-exclusive Licensing Guides Gallery. Find these details and all versions of the Copilot Studio Licensing Guide here: https://bit.ly/4gLINIg. Not yet a subscriber? Grab this latest guide here: https://bit.ly/4yeWm9n.

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.