There’s an updated Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide for June 2018. It includes some minor changes including a clarification to Resource Schedule Optimization licensing. Find the Guide, as usual, here: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Skype for Business Online Plan 1 Retirement
Microsoft announce that Skype for Business Online Plan 1 will be retired from the CSP program, effective 1 August, 2018. If you want information on the plans to migrate customers to, and how to do it, then this is the page for you: http://bit.ly/2MGp63I. It’s worth noting that most Office 365 plans do now actually include Skype for Business Online Plan 1 functionality.
Microsoft Azure Regions
Microsoft announce two new cloud data centre regions in Norway: one in the greater Stavanger region and the other in Oslo. Initial availability of Azure is planned for late 2019, with Office 365 and Dynamics 365 to follow.
Find the announcement here: http://bit.ly/2yuRfIN.
“Using the Windows Server Azure Hybrid Benefit”
Customers who have Windows Server licences with active Software Assurance can take advantage of the Azure Hybrid Benefit which allows them to assign these licences to Azure. This means that they can run Windows Server virtual machines at a reduced cost, paying just the base compute charges in Azure. It’s possible to deploy a new VM using the Azure Hybrid Benefit or to update an existing running VM to use this benefit. This is a useful article if you want to see how this is done and to get a view of which deployed VMs are using the Azure Hybrid Benefit: http://bit.ly/2tgbUdC.
Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide
There’s an updated Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide for May 2018. There aren’t major changes – just some clarifications of language which you can find in Appendix H on page 50. Get the Guide from our Licensing Guides emporium here: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.
Microsoft Calling Plans
Microsoft Calling Plans let users make and receive phone calls. From a licensing perspective there are Domestic and Domestic and International Plans available as User Subscription Licences and all users need to be licensed with a Phone System User SL too. The most recent availability of Calling Plans is in Canada (http://bit.ly/2IJ2MZM) from 1st May 2018, where calls to the US (and vice versa) are considered to be domestic .If you’re interested in a spreadsheet which shows availability throughout the world and how many minutes are included in the different regions, then this is download-must: http://bit.ly/2JbycHs.
VLSC Training and Resources
If you need to use VLSC to carry out tasks such as managing licences, downloading software, and activating and managing SA benefits, then this site with its collection of How-to videos and User Guides may be just what you’ve been looking for: http://bit.ly/2rCqwmZ.
Mobile Apps included in Office 365 Plans
Microsoft announce that the Office Mobile Apps will now be available with full editing capability for users with Office 365 Business Essentials, E1 and F1 subscriptions.
Find the full details here: http://bit.ly/2IEjt7N.
Azure Monetary Commitment Overage Payments
Microsoft make changes to when customers are invoiced for overage on their Azure Monetary Commitment. Historically, this has been quarterly or annually, dependent on agreement type, which was changed to quarterly for all customer and agreement types in December 2017. Now all overage will be charged at the end of each month.
See page 50 of the May 2018 Product Terms for the official wording.
Azure Reserved Instance Options
Microsoft add wording to the May 2018 Product Terms document to explain some of the key terms associated with Azure Reserved Instances: Exchange, Cancel, and Reassignment. Find the detail on page 50.